IOWA    BIOGRAPHICAL    SERIES 

EDITED    BY    BENJAMIN    F.  SHAMBAUGH 


HENRY    DODGE 


HENRY  DODGE 


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UHT  '<()   YHAHHKr   3HT    XI 


THE  STATK   Hlr*'M  .-fUt.  AL  sOriKTY   OF  IOWA 
)TY    IOWA    1911 


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IOWA     BIOGRAPHICAL     SERIES 

EDITED     BY     BENJAMIN     F.     SHAMBAUGH 


HENRY    DODGE 

BY 
LOUIS     fvELZEp 


THE  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  OF  IOWA 
IOWA     CITY     IOWA     1911 


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EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION 

As  Governor  of  the  original  Territory  of 
Wisconsin,  Henry  Dodge  may  with  propri 
ety  be  included  in  the  list  of  Iowa  executives 
since  the  original  Territory  of  Wisconsin 
embraced  the  country  that  was  subsequently 
erected  into  the  Territory  of  Iowa.  That 
the  Iowa  country  was  not  merely  an  outly 
ing  district  of  the  original  Territory  of  Wis 
consin  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  the 
greater  portion  of  the  population  was  west 
of  the  Mississippi  and  that  after  the  first 
session  of  the  Legislative  Assembly  (which 
was  held  at  Belmont)  Burlington  was  the 
seat  of  government. 

Henry  Dodge  was  a  typical  frontier  lead 
er,  and  as  such  his  biography  becomes  a 
valuable  contribution  to  the  history  of  the 
West. 

BENJ.  F.  SHAMBAUGH 

OFFICE  OF  THE  SUPERINTENDENT  AND  EDITOR 
THE  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  OF  IOWA 
IOWA  CITY 


5794 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

INTERWOVEN  with  the  history  of  the  West, 
the  public  career  of  Henry  Dodge  spans 
nearly  fifty  years  of  military  and  official 
life.  Rising  to  the  rank  of  Colonel  and  from 
Deputy  Sheriff  to  United  States  Senator, 
Henry  Dodge  lived  under  the  successive 
jurisdictions  of  Spain,  France,  and  the 
United  States;  while  his  military  and  of 
ficial  careers  extended  over  nine  of  the  pres 
ent  States  of  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

This  span  of  years  witnesses  vast  strides 
in  the  development  of  the  West  and  in  the 
fostering  of  the  democratic  spirit.  Fifteen 
States  are  added  to  the  Union,  population 
quintuples,  and  the  area  of  the  public  do 
main  is  nearly  doubled.  Bottomed  upon  the 
principles  of  Jacksonian  Democracy,  Henry 
Dodge  saw  the  rising  tides  of  popular  gov 
ernment  in  the  forepart  of  the  last  century. 
He  bore  a  part  in  the  enactment  of  the  Com 
promises  of  1850  and  the  Kansas-Nebraska 
Bill ;  and  he  was  the  colleague  of  such  men 
as  Benton,  Calhoun,  Cass,  Clay,  Douglas, 


xii  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

and  Webster.  His  legislative  record  reflects 
much  of  the  history  of  the  Middle  West  in 
the  two  houses  of  Congress. 

"The  names  of  the  Indian  fighters,  the 
treaty-makers,  the  wilderness  wanderers, 
who  took  the  lead  in  winning  and  exploring 
the  West,  are  memorable."*  This  truly 
characterizes  the  record  of  Colonel  Dodge's 
military  career,  which  winds  through  two 
States  of  the  Old  Northwest  and  through  six 
of  the  States  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase. 
These  activities  conduced  to  a  fruition  of 
peace,  settlement,  and  the  evolution  of  Ter 
ritories  into  Commonwealths. 

Henry  Dodge  saw  the  domain  over  which 
he  was  appointed  Governor  in  1836  grow  to 
the  magnitude  of  an  empire  in  population, 
wealth,  and  moral  resources.  This  region, 
embracing  within  its  limits  the  present 
States  of  Wisconsin,  Iowa,  and  Minnesota 
and  portions  of  the  Dakotas,  furnished  near 
ly  200,000  soldiers  to  help  suppress  the  War 
between  the  States. 

As  a  Territorial  executive  and  adminis 
trator  the  name  of  Governor  Dodge  will  be 
forever  linked  with  the  political  evolution 

^Roosevelt's  The  Winning  of  the  West  (Putnam  Edition) 
Vol.  IV,  p.  v. 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE  xiii 

of  the  Commonwealths  of  Iowa  and  Wis 
consin  to  which  he  bears  the  same  relation 
which  such  Governors  as  St.  Clair,  Har 
rison,  and  Cass  bore  to  the  Old  Northwest. 
These  Territories  became  dowered  with 
nearly  fifty  years  of  the  political  accretions 
of  the  Old  Northwest,  and  through  the  ad 
ministrations  of  Governor  Dodge  partook 
for  several  years  of  the  streams  of  statutes, 
administrative  policies,  precedents,  and  ju 
dicial  interpretations  which  had  their  foun 
tain  in  the  Ordinance  of  1787. 

This  book  of  biography  was  begun  while 
the  writer  was  holding  the  position  of  Re 
search  Assistant  in  The  State  Historical 
Society  of  Iowa.  The  sources  from  which 
the  material  was  obtained  are  indicated  in 
the  Notes  and  References  at  the  close  of  the 
text.  In  all  quotations  the  original  spelling, 
capitalization,  and  punctuation  have  been 
retained.  Chapter  I  of  this  volume  is  a 
slight  recasting  of  Chapter  I  of  the  writer's 
Augustus  Caesar  Dodge,  while  considerable 
portions  of  Chapter  II  of  that  volume  have 
been  literally  incorporated  into  the  present 
work. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  biography  the 
articles  on  Henry  Dodge  in  the  Iowa  His- 


xiv  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

torical  Record  by  the  late  Dr. William  Salter 
have  been  found  invaluable.  It  is,  more 
over,  a  pleasure  to  recall  the  profitable  in 
terviews  with  this  Iowa  historian  at  his 
home  in  Burlington.  Dr.  Benj.  F.  Sham- 
baugh,  the  Superintendent  of  The  State 
Historical  Society  of  Iowa  and  Editor  of 
the  Iowa  Biographical  Series,  suggested  the 
writing  of  this  book.  To  him  the  author  is 
indebted  for  constant  interest  and  encour 
agement.  Through  his  labors  from  the 
manuscript  to  the  final  proof  he  has  con 
tributed  the  best  words  of  advice,  suggestion, 
and  decision.  The  credit  of  preparing  the 
index  is  due  to  Miss  Ethyl  E.  Martin,  Clerk 
to  the  Superintendent  of  The  State  His 
torical  Society  of  Iowa. 

Louis  PELZER 

MONTANA  STATE  NORMAL  COLLEGE 
DILLON  MONTANA 


CONTENTS 

I.    ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE 1 

II.     CIVIL  AND  MILITARY  MATTERS  1805-1821       16 
III.    LEAD  MINING  IN  MISSOURI,  ILLINOIS,  AND 

MICHIGAN    TERRITORY 28 

IV.     INDIAN  UPRISINGS  AND  DISCONTENT  .    .       39 

V.     THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR 49 

VI.     MAJOR  OF  MOUNTED  RANGERS 67 

VII.     COLONEL   OF   THE   FIRST    REGIMENT   OF 

DRAGOONS 80 

VIII.     THE  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  PAWNEE  PICT 

VILLAGE ....       94 

IX.     THE  MARCH  OF  THE  DRAGOONS  TO  THE 

ROCKY  MOUNTAINS 113 

X.     GOVERNOR  OF  THE  ORIGINAL  TERRITORY 

OF   WISCONSIN    1836-1838  .....     128 
XI.     GOVERNOR     OF     WISCONSIN     TERRITORY 

1838-1841 145 

XII.    DELEGATE  FROM  THE  TERRITORY  OF  WIS 
CONSIN  158 

XIII.  GOVERNOR     OF     WISCONSIN     TERRITORY 

1845-1848 172 

XIV.  UNITED  STATES  SENATOR 185 

XV.     CHARACTER  AND   SERVICES 193 

NOTES   AND   REFERENCES 207 

INDEX  .  249 


I       -.  . 

%    -V*  '    : : -  '  ; : • * : 
ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE  l 

LYING  due  south  of  the  main  shore  of  Rhode 
Island  is  an  island  irregular  in  shape,  about 
eight  miles  long  and  three  miles  in  width, 
commanding  in  every  direction  a  view  of  the 
Atlantic.  Adrian  Block,  a  Dutch  skipper, 
had  touched  this  bit  of  land  in  1614  and  had 
modestly  named  it ' '  Block  Eylandt. ' ' 2  For 
nearly  fifty  years  its  Indian  inhabitants 
lived  undisturbed  by  any  permanent  settle 
ments  of  the  white  man ;  but  in  1661  a  shal 
lop  from  Taunton,  Massachusetts,  landed  its 
cargo  of  fifteen  passengers  —  the  first  set 
tlers  of  Block  Island.  Among  the  list  was 
one  Trustarum  (or  Tristram)  Dodge,  the 
ancestral  founder  of  the  Dodge  family  in 
America.3 

For  over  two  centuries  this  family  line 
grew  and  prospered  —  nurturing  and  devel 
oping  the  instinct  of  migration  which  had 
led  the  founder  to  Block  Island.  The  west 
ward  trail  of  their  migrations  winds  through 


2  HENRY  DODGE 

many  States  and  is  marked  by  Indian  wars 
and  the  exploits  and  hardships  of  frontier 
settlements.  In  the  far  West  the  record 
gains  new  strength  in  the  Black  Hawk  War 
and  ill  the  negotiation  of  Indian  treaties. 
Under  the  legislative  and  administrative 
force  of  this  family  vast  territorial  empires 
of  the  West  were  transformed  into  Terri 
tories  and  Commonwealths  with  security, 
wealth  and  population.  Still  further,  the 
descendants  of  this  family  contribute  to  the 
diplomatic  history  of  the  Nation.  In  short, 
the  achievements  of  the  Dodge  family  are 
another  expression  of  that  dominating  force 
and  virility  of  character  which  won  the 
West. 

Israel  Dodge,  one  of  the  four  sons  of 
Trustarum  Dodge  migrated  to  New  London, 
Connecticut,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  seven 
teenth  century,  and  on  October  1,  1720,  sold 
his  land  on  Block  Island  to  his  brothers.  Of 
the  five  sons  of  Israel,  John  was  born  in 
1689.  He  removed  to  Colchester  and  then  to 
Canterbury,  Connecticut,  and  died  at  the 
ripe  age  of  eighty-seven  or  eighty-eight 
years.4 

Eleven  children,  the  third  of  whom  was 
born  on  March  10,  1723,  and  also  named 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE  3 

John,  were  born  to  John  Dodge.5  John 
Dodge,  Jr.,  became  a  blacksmith  by  trade; 
and  the  farm  implements  which  he  made  are 
said  to  have  been  of  superior  quality.  For 
many  years  he  lived  at  Canterbury,  Con 
necticut,  where  the  family  were  regular  at 
tendants  of  the  Baptist  Church.  He  was 
thrice  married ;  and  it  is  said  that  in  his  cor 
respondence  he  compared  his  three  wives  to 
' '  Heaven,  Earth,  and  Hell ' '.  Eight  children 
were  born  of  the  first  wife,  and  the  father 
sometimes  gave  their  names  in  the  following 
bit  of  rhyme : 

Jordan  and  John, 

Israel  and  Josiah, 

Lydia  and  Elizabeth, 

Jere  and  Miah.6 

Israel,  the  third  son  and  the  third  of  that 
name  in  his  line,  was  the  father  of  Henry 
Dodge.  He  was  born  at  Canterbury,  Con 
necticut,  on  September  3,  1760.  The  spirit 
of  adventure  and  a  love  for  daring  seem  to 
have  been  born  in  him,  and  when  but  a  lad  of 
fifteen  years  he  visited  the  coast  of  Africa 
on  board  a  slaver.  Two  years  later  the  Col 
onies  were  in  revolt  against  their  mother 
land  and  young  Israel  joined  the  Revolu 
tionary  troops  from  Connecticut.  On  Sep- 


4  HENRY  DODGE 

tember  11, 1777,  he  participated  in  the  Battle 
of  Brandywine,7  and  in  a  hand-to-hand  fight 
with  a  Britisher  he  was  wounded  in  the  chest 
by  a  bayonet.  The  youthful  La  Fayette 
(only  three  years  older)  also  underwent  his 
baptism  of  fire  in  this  battle,  and  while  at 
tempting  to  rally  the  yielding  patriots  was 
wounded  in  the  leg  by  a  musket-ball.  Later 
young  Israel  served  as  Second  Lieutenant  in 
the  Continental  army. 

Near  the  close  of  the  war  Israel  Dodge 
was  married  to  Nancy  Ann  Hunter,  whose 
life  is  filled  with  pioneer  hardships  and  ad 
ventures.  She  was  the  youngest  of  the  eight 
children  of  Joseph  and  Molly  Hunter  —  a 
sturdy  Scotch-Irish  couple  who  settled  at 
Carlisle,  Pennsylvania,  where  Nancy  Ann 
was  born.  The  father,  however,  did  not 
prosper  well  in  Pennsylvania  and  so  the 
family  decided  to  emigrate  to  Kentucky. 

When  but  fifteen  years  of  age  Nancy  Ann 
occupied  with  her  father's  family  a  fort  in 
Kentucky  a  few  miles  below  the  mouth  of 
the  Ohio  River.  The  stealth  and  treachery 
of  the  Indians  made  the  cultivation  of  the 
soil  extremely  hazardous.  Frequently  the 
little  garrison  was  reduced  almost  to  starva 
tion,  having  nothing  to  subsist  upon  except 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE  5 

what  could  be  reared  and  cultivated  in  little 
patches  around  the  fort.  Sometimes  when 
the  savages  would  relax  their  watchfulness 
a  few  of  the  bolder  settlers  would  venture 
out  and  return  with  a  pack  of  game  for  the 
hungry  inmates.  At  other  times  they  were 
so  closely  beleaguered  that  they  did  not  dare 
to  venture  outside  the  stockade. 

Such  was  the  situation  when  one  day  a 
favorite  cow  gave  birth  to  a  calf  a  short  dis 
tance  from  the  fort.  Both  animals  were  ex 
posed  to  the  danger  of  capture  by  the 
skulking  warriors;  and  so  the  settlers  held 
a  hurried  consultation.  But  realizing  the 
danger  from  hidden  Redskins,  none  of  them 
would  venture  outside.  Then  it  was  that 
alone  and  unaided  Nancy  Ann  rushed  forth 
and  seized  the  calf  in  her  arms,  while  all  eyes 
were  fixed  upon  her.  Carrying  the  calf 
toward  the  fort,  with  the  cow  closely  follow 
ing  after,  she  advanced  toward  the  stockade 
while  a  volley  of  arrows  whistled  around 
her.  Amid  the  joy  of  those  in  the  fort  all 
three  reached  the  stockade  unharmed.8 

Meanwhile  western  immigration  had  been 
powerfully  stimulated  by  the  capture,  in 
1778  and  1779,  of  Kaskaskia  and  Vincennes 
in  the  Old  Northwest  Territory  by  Colonel 


6  HENRY  DODGE 

George  Rogers  Clark.9  The  roaming,  rest 
less  character  of  the  pioneers  and  frontiers 
men  of  this  time  is  well  typified  in  the  life 
of  John  Dodge  whose  career  is  somewhat 
interwoven  with  that  of  his  younger  brother 
Israel. 

Before  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolutionary 
War,  John  Dodge  had  been  a  trader  at  San- 
dusky,  Ohio.  Having  showed  his  attach 
ment  to  the  cause  of  the  Colonists,  he  was 
arrested  by  the  British  who  carried  him  to 
Detroit  and  later  to  Quebec,  from  whence  he 
escaped  in  1779.10  After  the  war  he  received 
compensation  in  land  for  the  losses  he  had 
suffered  during  that  conflict.11 

In  his  own  narrative  John  Dodge  gives  a 
rather  gruesome  account  of  his  confinement 
by  Henry  Hamilton,  the  Governor  and 
Commandant  at  Detroit.  "He  ordered  me 
to  close  confinement,"  writes  Dodge,  " tell 
ing  me  to  spend  that  night  in  making  my 
peace  with  God,  as  it  was  the  last  night  I 
should  live:  I  was  then  hurried  to  a  loath 
some  dungeon,  ironed  and  thrown  in  with 
three  criminals,  being  allowed  neither  bed 
ding,  straw  or  fire,  although  it  was  in  the 
depth  of  winter,  and  so  exceeding  cold,  that 
my  toes  were  froze  before  morning."12 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE  7 

Arriving  at  Boston  John  Dodge  attracted 
the  attention  of  General  Washington  who 
recommended  him  to  Congress  as  a  man  who 
might  be  useful  in  the  West.  From  Boston 
he  went  to  Virginia  where,  gaining  the  con 
fidence  of  Thomas  Jefferson  and  Patrick 
Henry,  he  was  appointed  Indian  Agent  at 
Kaskaskia  for  the  Illinois  country.  Israel 
Dodge  had  also  been  drawn  into  this  west 
ward  current  of  migration  and  with  his 
young  wife  migrated  to  Kaskaskia  where  he 
served  under  the  military  authority  of  his 
brother.13 

Disagreements  between  the  civil  and  the 
military  authority  arose  in  the  Illinois 
country.  The  military  officers,  forced  to 
offer  worthless  continental  paper  which  the 
inhabitants  refused  to  receive,  were  com 
pelled  to  seize  provisions  without  giving 
proper  compensation  in  return.  Richard 
Winston,  the  Acting  Governor,  charged  some 
of  the  military  officers  with  dishonesty  and 
crime;  and  they  in  return  promptly  im 
prisoned  him.  This  was  on  April  29,  1782. 
He  complained  bitterly  of  the  "  tyrannic 
military  force"  and  indignantly  protested 
against  the  arrest  wrhich  had  been  made  "by 
Israel  Dodge,  on  an  order  given  by  John 


8  HENRY  DODGE 

Dodge,  in  despite  of  the  civil  authority."14 

Leaving  the  warring  factions  at  Kaskas- 
kia,  Israel  Dodge  lived  for  some  time  at 
the  Falls  of  the  Ohio  Eiver.15  The  spirit  of 
migration,  however,  again  impelled  him  on 
ward;  and  in  1788  or  1789  he  left  Kentucky 
and  with  his  brother  John  removed  to  the 
Spanish  province  of  Upper  Louisiana. 
They  settled  at  New  Bourbon  near  the  old 
French  town  of  Ste.  Genevieve,  while  the 
McDonalds,  another  family  from  Kentucky, 
located  near  St.  Louis. 

They  had  been  tempted  to  these  regions 
by  reports  concerning  the  rich  lands  and  the 
prosperous  lead  mines  which  were  offered 
without  price  to  all  who  would  occupy  and 
improve  them.16  For  nearly  twenty  years 
Ste.  Genevieve  had  been  a  market  for  lead, 
which,  next  to  peltries,  was  the  most  impor 
tant  export  of  the  Province  of  Upper  Louisi 
ana.  It  even  served  as  the  currency  of  the 
region,  and  a  peck  of  corn  exchanged  for  a 
peck  of  ore.  Later  the  growth  of  St.  Louis 
caused  the  lead  trade  to  become  centered  at 
that  city.17 

Near  Ste.  Genevieve  this  Connecticut 
Yankee,  Israel  Dodge,  prospered  and  be 
came  wealthy.  In  1799  the  Spanish  officials 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE  9 

of  the  district  of  New  Bourbon  made  a  re 
quest  for  patriotic  donations  and  loans  to 
aid  Spain  in  the  European  wars.  In  the  list 
of  donors  the  name  of  Israel  Dodge,  a  plant 
er,  stands  as  one  of  the  three  heaviest  con 
tributors  —  his  contribution  being  twenty 
piastres  in  lead  or  furs.18 

On  October  15,  1799,  he  petitioned  the 
Lieutenant  General  of  the  province,  Don 
Carlos  Dehault  de  Lassus,  for  a  grant  of 
one  thousand  arpens  of  land  upon  which  he 
had  made  many  improvements.  The  com 
mandant  of  the  post  at  New  Bourbon,  Pierre 
de  Lassus  de  Luziere,  recommended  the 
granting  of  the  petition,  declaring  that  the 
petitioner  had  often  signalized  his  zeal  for 
the  King's  service.  "In  short,"  he  wrote, 
"we  do  attest  that  the  said  petitioner  has 
erected,  at  a  very  great  expense,  several  es 
tablishments,  such  as  mills,  breweries,  dis 
tilleries,  and  others,  which  are  of  the  most 
precious  utility  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  sec 
tion  of  the  country."  The  concession  of  this 
tract  of  land  bears  the  date  of  October  25, 
1799.19 

Such  grants,  however,  were  often  of  com 
paratively  small  value  because  of  the  few 
and  isolated  settlements,  dangers  from  the 


10  HENRY  DODGE 

Indians,  and  remoteness  from  markets.  It 
is  most  interesting  to  note  that  one  of  the 
tracts  of  land  granted  to  Israel  Dodge  by 
the  King  of  Spain,  long  after  the  land  had 
passed  from  his  descendants,  furnished 
some  of  the  building  stone  for  the  present 
capitol  of  the  State  of  Iowa.20 

The  products  of  his  farm  and  of  his  dis 
tilleries  and  breweries  were  loaded  on  crude 
crafts,  known  as  the  "flat-bottomed  boat", 
or  the  "old  broad  scow",  and  shipped  down 
the  Mississippi  River  to  the  old  Spanish 
town  of  New  Orleans.  The  river  pirates 
added  to  the  risks  of  such  long  trips;  but 
such  dangers  did  not  deter  the  man  who  had 
faced  the  British  bayonets  at  Brandywine. 

On  one  of  these  trips,21  when  far  down 
the  Mississippi,  Israel  Dodge's  boat  was 
boarded  in  broad  daylight  by  a  modern 
"Rob  Roy",  backed  by  a  gang  of  river 
pirates.  Placing  their  guns  at  the  heads  of 
Dodge  and  his  defenseless  crew,  the  pirates 
ordered  them  to  row  the  boat  ashore  where 
they  could  plunder  the  cargo  to  their  own 
satisfaction  and  if  need  be  murder  captain 
and  crew.  Israel  Dodge,  however,  retained 
his  self-possession  and  watched  the  pirate 
chief  closely.  Noticing  something  in  his 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE  H 

speech  and  bearing  which  aroused  the  belief 
that  he  was  a  Mason,  Dodge  offered  him  a 
grip  or  sign. 

The  effect  of  this  act  was  instantaneous. 
Turning  to  his  companions,  the  man  of 
blood  and  plunder  exclaimed:  "Boys!  we 
must  let  this  man  and  his  boat  go."  They 
did  so,  and  the  chief  graciously  accepted  a 
barrel  of  flour  and  some  bacon  as  presents 
for  his  kindness  and  courtesy.  Thankful  to 
escape  so  easily  the  crew  continued  its  wind 
ing  journey  down  the  river  and  landed  safely 
at  New  Orleans,  where  they  exchanged  their 
flour,  bacon,  and  spirits  for  Spanish  gold. 

By  the  year  1799  the  population  of  Upper 
Louisiana  numbered  6028,  of  whom  4948 
were  whites,  883  slaves,  and  197  free  colored 
persons.22  Although  this  territory  had  been 
under  Spanish  sway  for  thirty-seven  years 
the  region  never  became  Spanish  in  spirit  or 
population  but  remained  French  during  the 
entire  period  of  Spanish  domination.  For 
years  the  population  of  the  American  Com 
monwealths  had  pressed  against  the  Spanish 
boundaries  and  had  indeed  overflowed  into 
the  region  west  of  the  Mississippi.  The  con 
trol  of  the  Mississippi  as  well  as  of  the  port 
of  New  Orleans  was  of  consequence  to  every 


12  HENRY  DODGE 

farmer,  planter,  tree-feller,  and  frontiers 
man  on  this  side  of  the  Alleghanies.  The 
retrocession  by  Spain  of  the  vast  empire  of 
Louisiana  to  France  in  October,  1800,  and 
its  cession  by  Napoleon  (April  30,  1803)  to 
the  United  States  were,  therefore,  but  the 
working  out  of  the  destiny  of  American 
westward  expansion. 

On  March  9,  1804,  Israel  Dodge  witnessed 
at  St.  Louis  the  formal  transfer  of  Upper 
Louisiana  to  the  United  States.  Captain 
Amos  Stoddard,  acting  for  both  Prance  and 
the  United  States,  received  possession  of  the 
territory  from  the  last  Spanish  Governor, 
Carlos  Dehault  de  Lassus.  On  the  next  day 
the  stars  and  stripes  of  the  United  States  re 
placed  the  eagles  of  the  Republic  of  France. 
Amid  the  tears  and  lamentations  of  the 
ancient  inhabitants  might  have  been  heard 
the  cheers  of  Israel  Dodge  swelling  the  joy 
ous  shouts  of  the  Americans  who  were  pres 
ent.23 

In  the  same  year,  on  October  1st,  he  was 
appointed  Sheriff  of  the  Ste.  Genevieve 
District  by  William  Henry  Harrison,  Gov 
ernor  of  Indiana  and  of  the  District  of 
Louisiana.  In  December  he  returned  a 
venire  for  the  first  term  of  court  in  the  dis- 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE  13 

trict,  and  was  appointed  to  receive  proposals 
for  the  building  of  a  jail.24  He  continued  to 
perform  his  duties  as  Sheriff  and  to  farm 
his  lands  until  1806  when  he  died  in  the 
forty-seventh  year  of  his  age.  His  ashes 
repose  near  the  ancient  town  of  Ste.  Gene- 
vieve,  Missouri. 

The  romance  of  history  centers  about  Post 
Vincennes  (now  Vincennes  in  Indiana) 
where  Henry  Dodge  was  born  on  October 
12,  1782.25  It  is  one  of  the  old  towns  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley  and  one  for  the  posses 
sion  of  which  the  great  nations  of  the  earth 

-  Prance,  England,  and  the  United  States 

-  have  contended.     Its  capture  from  the 
British  on  February  24,  1779,  added  lustre 
to  the  military  exploits  of  Colonel  George 
Rogers  Clark.    The  early  boyhood  of  Henry 
Dodge  was   spent  in  Kentucky  amid  the 
dangers  of  that  "dark  and  bloody  ground", 
wrhere  five  of  his  uncles  perished  in  Indian 
warfare. 

When  but  fourteen  years  of  age  —  so  runs 
the  story26 — young  Henry  Dodge  saw  in  a 
Kentucky  village  a  brawny  savage  standing 
over  the  prostrate  form  of  a  woman  and 
threatening  to  scalp  her  with  a  butcher 
knife.  Responding  to  the  screams  of  the 


14  HENRY  DODGE 

woman  for  help  the  lad  seized  a  stone  and 
with  it  felled  the  Indian  to  the  ground.  Be 
lieving  that  the  Indian  was  dead  and  fearing 
revenge  from  the  other  Indians,  Nancy  Ann 
warned  the  boy  to  flee  for  his  life.  After 
spending  the  night  in  a  graveyard  he  joined 
a  band  of  pioneers  bound  for  the  West  and 
soon  reached  the  town  of  Ste.  Genevieve. 

Here  under  the  fostering  care  of  Israel 
Dodge  the  boy  grew  to  manhood.  John 
Dodge  had  also  joined  his  brother  in  Upper 
Louisiana,  and  during  the  Spanish  domi 
nation  all  three  were  for  some  time  engaged 
in  making  salt  upon  the  Saline  River.27 

Henry  Dodge  learned  to  work  at  an  early 
age.  With  the  help  of  the  slaves  he  worked 
on  the  farm  and  directed  its  operations.  He 
learned  and  performed  the  various  duties 
connected  with  his  father's  mills,  breweries, 
and  distilleries.  He  was  fond  of  hunting 
and  dangerous  exploits,  and  thus  laid  the 
foundation  of  a  healthy  and  vigorous  body. 

No  doubt  he  often  accompanied  his  father 
on  his  trips  down  the  Mississippi  River  to 
New  Orleans.  He  had  successfully  courted 
Christina  McDonald,  and  in  1800  in  the 
"  Bonne  Homme"  settlement  (a  few  miles 
west  of  St.  Louis)  he  was  married  when  she 


ANCESTRY  AND  EARLY  LIFE  15 

was  but  fifteen  years  old.28  Early  in  1805  he 
served  as  Deputy  Sheriff  under  his  father 
in  the  Ste.  Genevieve  District  —  an  office 
which  was  the  first  in  his  long  civil  and 
military  career  of  about  fifty  years. 


II 

CIVIL  AND  MILITARY  MATTERS  1805-1821 

THESE  sixteen  years  of  Dodge's  life  are 
typical  of  the  life  of  an  intelligent,  aggres 
sive  man  of  southeastern  Missouri  in  the 
early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century.  This 
period  witnesses  the  exit  of  the  old  Spanish 
regime,  changes  in  territorial  jurisdictions, 
the  effects  upon  a  frontier  community  of  a 
war  with  a  foreign  power,  the  transition 
from  Territory  to  Statehood,  and  the  opera 
tion  of  those  political  and  social  forces 
which  bore  fruitage  in  the  Commonwealth 
of  Missouri.  And  in  all  these  matters  Henry 
Dodge  bore  a  part. 

It  will  be  recalled  that  what  is  now  the 
State  of  Missouri  was  by  the  act  of  March 
26, 1804,  placed  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Governor  and  Judges  of  the  Indiana  Terri 
tory.29  Substantially  the  same  five  old  ad 
ministrative  districts  of  the  Spanish  regime 
were  retained  and  later  became  known  as 
counties.  The  District  of  Ste.  Genevieve, 

16 


CIVIL  AND  MILITARY  MATTERS        17 

the  residence  of  Henry  Dodge,  thus  became 
a  legatee  of  the  political  estate  of  the  old 
Spanish  administration  as  well  as  that  of 
the  Old  Northwest  Territory.  Such  is  the 
political  background  upon  which  the  public 
career  of  Henry  Dodge  is  to  be  sketched. 

Late  in  1804  and  in  1805  a  system  of  local 
government  was  established  in  the  Ste. 
Genevieve  District.  Courts  were  organized, 
public  buildings  were  erected,  townships 
were  created,  and  a  system  of  taxation  was 
inaugurated.  There  is  a  record  that  in 
March  of  1805  Henry  Dodge  and  five  others 
were  indicted  and  convicted  of  assault  and 
battery.  In  September  of  the  same  year 
Dodge  qualified  as  Sheriff  of  the  Ste. 
Genevieve  District —  an  office  which  he  filled 
for  a  period  of  sixteen  years.30 

This  was  an  important  office  and  was 
vested  with  a  large  number  of  duties  and 
powers.  Moreover,  in  addition  to  the  pow 
ers  which  the  office  possesses  to-day,  the 
Sheriff  of  Ste.  Genevieve  was  an  important 
official  of  financial  administration,  some 
times  performing  the  duties  of  assessor,  col 
lector,  and  treasurer.31  In  1805  the  total 
tax  levy  for  the  Ste.  Genevieve  District  was 
$1171.94.  Not  until  1821  was  a  court-house 


18  HENRY  DODGE 

built  and  courts  were  compelled  to  meet  in 
the  parish  house,  in  the  tavern,  or  in  private 
dwellings.  After  1814  the  sessions  were  held 
at  the  home  of  Henry  Dodge  where  testi 
mony  was  given,  arguments  heard,  and  jus 
tice  rendered.32 

Such  a  frontier  community,  with  its 
sparse  settlements  and  opportunities  for  the 
escape  of  criminals,  demanded  a  Sheriff 
with  energy  and  decision  to  hunt  down  the 
desperate  characters  of  the  District.  The 
two  executions  made  during  Sheriff  Dodge's 
administration  were  those  of  Peter  Johnson 
and  Charles  Heath.  Peter  Johnson  was 
hanged  on  August  3,  1810,  for  the  murder 
of  John  Spear;  and  Charles  Heath  met  a 
similar  fate  on  March  9,  1812,  for  the  mur 
der  of  Hugh  Jones.  These  were  the  first 
legal  executions  in  the  history  of  the 
county.33 

Meanwhile  Aaron  Burr  had,  since  the 
summer  of  1805,  been  dreaming  of  conquests 
and  empires  far  to  the  Southwest,  and  in 
1806  had  made  a  trip  down  the  Ohio  River. 
Vague  rumors  were  afloat  to  the  effect  that 
Burr  was  to  capture  the  Spanish  province 
of  Mexico,  place  himself  upon  the  throne, 
or  perhaps  annex  the  province  to  the  United 


CIVIL  AND  MILITARY  MATTERS        19 

States.  This  enterprise  naturally  stirred 
the  blood  of  adventurous  characters  who 
would  have  welcomed  a  fight  with  the  Span 
ish  Dons.  Henry  Dodge  and  Colonel  Jack 
Smith  T.  (then  a  judge  of  the  Court  of  Com 
mon  Pleas  for  Ste.  Genevieve)  constituted 
a  pair  of  such  daring  men,  and  they  set  out 
to  join  the  Burr  expedition. 

Hearing  that  Burr  was  to  meet  recruits 
at  New  Madrid,  Dodge  and  Smith  floated 
down  to  that  place  in  canoes.  But  upon 
their  arrival  they  learned  of  President  Jef 
ferson's  proclamation  which  declared  the  ex 
pedition  unlawful.  "Cols.  Smith  and  Dodge 
were  mortified;  sold  their  canoes,  bought 
horses,  and  came  back  home  to  Ste.  Gene 
vieve.  When  Dodge  got  to  town  he  found 
great  excitement;  the  grand  jury  were  in 
session,  and  had  actually  indicted  Dodge 
and  Smith  for  treason.  Dodge  surrendered 
himself  and  gave  bail  for  his  appearance. 
After  doing  this,  Dodge,  who  considered 
himself  greatly  outraged  by  the  action  of 
the  grand  jury,  pulled  off  his  coat,  rolled  up 
his  sleeves,  and  whipped  nine  of  the  grand 
jurors.  Henry  Dodge  was  a  tall  man,  over 
six  feet  high,  as  straight  as  an  Indian,  and 
possessed  of  great  strength.  He  would  have 


20  HENRY  DODGE 


whipped  every  member  of  the  grand  jury  if 
the  rest  had  not  run  away."34 

Accounts  of  civil  matters  touching  the 
life  of  Henry  Dodge  during  this  period  are 
comparatively  meagre.  During  the  early 
years  of  his  term  as  Sheriff  he  was  one  of  a 
party  who  dismantled  an  old  cannon  at  Fort 
Chartres.  Embarking  upon  a  keel-boat, 
which  was  rowed  up  the  Mississippi  Eiver 
by  negroes,  they  transported  the  historic 
cannon  to  Ste.  Genevieve  where  it  often 
pealed  forth  in  honor  of  American  inde 
pendence.35  In  1808  he  was  one  of  the 
twenty-one  trustees  of  Ste.  Genevieve 
Academy.36  Three  years  later  he  and  John 
Scott  (who  was  later  the  Delegate  from  the 
Territory  of  Missouri)  were  seconds  in  a 
duel  between  Dr.  Walter  Fenwick  and 
Thomas  T.  Crittenden,  in  which  the  former 
was  mortally  wounded.  This  duel  is  typical 
of  the  many  that  occurred  on  the  frontier  in 
which  Henry  Dodge  lived.37 

On  June  4, 1812,  the  Territory  of  Missouri 
was  created,  and  in  the  next  year  Henry 
Dodge  was  appointed  Marshal  for  the  new 
Territory.  His  commission  bore  the  sig 
natures  of  President  James  Madison  and 
Secretary  of  State  James  Monroe.  In  1806 


CIVIL  AND  MILITARY  MATTERS        21 

and  1807  he  had  held  rank  in  the  militia  of 
Ste.  Gene  vie  ve  as  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant, 
while  later  he  was  appointed  First  Lieuten 
ant  and  then  Captain  in  the  Ste.  Genevieve 
Troop  of  Cavalry. 

A  remarkable  list38  of  the  commissions  of 
Henry  Dodge,  preserved  by  his  son  and 
later  presented  to  the  Historical  Depart 
ment  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  epitomizes  the 
civil  and  military  career  of  Henry  Dodge. 
These  commissions  embrace  a  period  of  serv 
ice  of  over  forty  years  and  bear  the  signa 
tures  of  presidents,  governors,  secretaries 
of  state,  and  other  high  officials.  Indeed, 
there  are  few,  if  any,  collections  of  docu 
mentary  history  of  the  West  which  can 
equal  this  one  in  unique  interest. 

Henry  Dodge  was  in  his  thirtieth  year 
when  war  wras  declared  against  Great 
Britain  on  June  18,  1812.  By  experience, 
taste,  and  capacity  he  was  fitted  to  take  a 
useful  part  in  this  encounter.  Although  the 
people  of  southeastern  Missouri  were  far  re 
moved  from  the  principal  theatre  of  the  war 
they  had  to  participate  in  several  engage 
ments  with  the  Indians  and  to  exercise 
ceaseless  vigilance  against  this  dangerous 
foe.  For  years  before  1812  British  traders 


22  HENRY  DODGE 

along  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Northwest 
had  been  fomenting  dissatisfaction  among 
the  Indians  and  had  even  supplied  them 
with  arms  and  ammunition.  After  the 
declaration  of  war  the  British  agents  of  the 
Upper  Mississippi  increased  their  activities 
in  inciting  the  Indians  to  war.  On  Septem 
ber  5,  1812,  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  of  Rock 
River,  assisted  by  the  Winnebagoes  under 
Black  Hawk,  made  an  unsuccessful  attack 
on  Fort  Madison  on  the  Mississippi  River.39 
The  next  year  it  was  twice  attacked  by 
marauding  bands.  "Boone  Lick  Settle 
ment",  consisting  of  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  families  in  what  are  now  Howard  and 
Cooper  counties  of  Missouri,  was  in  a  very 
exposed  condition  and  suffered  frequent 
depredations. 

Such  events  roused  Governor  William 
Clark  to  action,  and  in  1814  the  militia  of 
the  Territory  was  organized.  Henry  Dodge, 
on  January  17th  of  that  year,  had  been  com 
missioned  Brigadier  General  of  the  Terri 
torial  militia,  and  in  Ste.  Genevieve  County 
he  had  raised  a  mounted  volunteer  rifle  com 
pany  of  which  he  became  the  Captain.40  It 
was  evident  that  a  vigorous  campaign  was  to 
be  pushed  in  order  to  insure  the  future  peace 


CIVIL  AND  MILITARY  MATTERS        23 

and  safety  of  the  settlers  and  their  property. 
Waiving  his  rank  as  General  and  taking 
command  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  mounted 
men,  Dodge  was  now  (in  September,  1814) 
ordered  to  march  to  the  relief  of  the  "Boone 
Lick  Settlement",  which  lay  along  the  Mis 
souri  River  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  to  the  northwest  of  Ste.  Genevieve 
where  for  several  years  its  one  hundred  and 
fifty  families  had  been  exposed  to  Indian 
dangers. 

Dodge's  force  consisted  of  three  hundred 
and  fifty  mounted  men,  commanded  by  the 
following  Captains :  John  W.  Thompson  of 
St.  Louis,  Isaac  Van  Bibber  of  Loutre  Lick, 
Henry  Poston  of  the  Missouri  Mining  Re 
gion,  Sarshall  Cooper  of  the  "  Boone  Lick 
Settlement",  and  Daugherty  of  Cape  Gir- 
ardeau.  Majors  Nathaniel  Cook  and  Daniel 
M.  Boone,  Benjamin  Cooper  (a  brother  of 
Sarshall  Cooper),  and  David  Barton  (later 
a  United  States  Senator  from  Missouri)  ac 
companied  the  force.  Besides  these  volun 
teers  there  were  about  forty  friendly 
Shawnees  commanded  by  four  war  captains 
—  Na-kour-me,  Kish-kal-le-wa,  Pap-pi-qua, 
and  Wa-pe-pil-le-se.  Both  Pap-pi-qua  and 
Wa-pe-pil-le-se  were  fully  seventy  years  old 


24  HENRY  DODGE 

and  had  had  much  service  in  the  "dark  and 
bloody  ground". 

After  several  days  of  steady  marching41 
they  reached  the  "Boone  Lick  Settlement". 
At  Arrow  Rock  they  prepared  to  cross  the 
Missouri,  and  Dodge  selected  six  of  his  most 
active  men  for  the  advance.  The  others, 
flanked  by  canoes,  struck  through  the  swift 
stream  and  reached  the  southern  bank  in 
safety.  Two  hours  were  consumed  in  cross 
ing  with  all  the  horses,  baggage,  arms,  etc. 

Meanwhile  the  Shawnee  scouts  had  found 
and  reported  the  locality  of  the  hostile 
Miamis,  who  had  erected  a  small  fort. 
Dodge  urged  his  men  forward  several  miles 
up  the  river  and  in  the  night  discovered  and 
surrounded  the  enemy  in  what  is  known  as 
Miami  Bend  in  Saline  County.  Through  the 
Shawnees  the  Miamis  offered  to  surrender. 
Dodge  now  called  a  council  of  his  officers, 
who  advised  that  the  Indians  be  received  as 
prisoners  and  that  their  lives  be  sacredly 
preserved.  For  the  latter,  declared  Dodge, 
the  officers  and  their  men  should  be  held 
personally  responsible.  The  Indians  num 
bering  thirty-one  warriors  and  one  hundred 
and  twenty-two  women  and  children  then 
formally  surrendered. 


CIVIL  AND  MILITARY  MATTERS        25 

The  next  morning,  when  searching  for 
hidden  property,  the  troops  found  the  well- 
known  rifle  of  Campbell,  the  potter,  who  had 
been  slain  by  the  Indians  some  months  be 
fore.  The  enraged  Boone  Lick  troops  now 
insisted  that  the  murderer  be  surrendered; 
and  Captain  Cooper,  at  Dodge's  refusal, 
threatened  in  behalf  of  his  company  to  kill 
the  whole  of  the  Indians  and  by  common 
consent  his  men  cocked  their  rifles.  The 
Indian  warriors  fell  upon  their  knees  and 
prepared  for  death.  Without  turning  to  the 
armed  men  Dodge  now  drew  his  sword, 
thrust  the  point  within  six  inches  of  Coop 
er's  breast,  and  reminded  him  of  the  pledge 
to  protect  the  prisoners.  He  could  not  see 
them  slaughtered  in  cold  blood,  and  declared 
that  if  the  Boone  Lick  men  fired  upon  them 
Captain  Cooper  should  instantly  suffer  the 
consequences. 

66  At  this  critical  moment",  reads  Draper's 
notes,  "Major  Daniel  M.  Boone  came  dash 
ing  up  to  Gen.  Dodge's  side,  and  said  he 
would  stand  by  him  to  the  last,  and  he  taunt 
ed  Cooper  with  the  treachery  of  the  act  he 
proposed.  Dodge  was  firm,  never  taking  his 
eye  from  Cooper's.  Boone  presented  a  de 
termined  countenance,  as  brave  men  always 


26  HENRY  DODGE 

do  when  actuated  by  noble  purposes.  At 
length  Cooper  yielded,  and  Dodge  ordered 
him  to  take  his  place  in  the  line,  and  march 
away.  He  doggedly  obeyed,  and  his  men 
rode  by.  The  Indians  now  jumped  to  their 
feet  with  expressions  of  joy  and  gratitude 
to  Dodge  and  Boone.  The  Shawanoes,  too, 
were  much  gratified  that  the  Miamis  were 
spared." 

Twenty-one  years  later  Kish-kal-le-wa 
visited  his  old  commander  at  Fort  Leaven- 
worth  and  revived  the  incidents  of  this 
scene  in  which  Dodge  had  borne  a  most 
magnanimous  part.  In  a  long  retrospect  of 
Indian  warfare  Dodge  could  well  look  upon 
his  conduct  in  saving  these  prisoners  as  one 
of  the  happiest  acts  of  his  life. 

Such  was  the  part  of  Henry  Dodge  in  the 
War  of  1812.  After  the  treaty  of  Ghent  on 
December  24,  1814,  several  treaties  of  peace 
had  to  be  made  with  savage  tribes  which  had 
been  in  league  with  Great  Britain  or  at  war 
with  the  United  States.  Military  men  often 
participated  in  these  treaties  for  the  pur 
pose  of  impressing  the  Indians  with  a  mili 
tary  force,  of  preserving  order,  and  of  wit 
nessing  the  treaty  itself.  Henry  Dodge's 
knowledge  of  Indian  character,  his  compre- 


CIVIL  AND  MILITARY  MATTERS        27 

hension  of  frontier  life  and  conditions,  and 
his  military  experience  well  fitted  him  to 
take  part  in  treaty-making.  The  two  treat 
ies  which  he  helped  to  make  and  to  which 
his  name  stands  as  a  witness  are  those  be 
tween  William  Clark,  Ninian  Edwards,  and 
Auguste  Chouteau,  commissioners  on  the 
part  of  the  United  States,  and  the  chiefs  and 
warriors  of  the  Teton  and  the  Yankton 
Sioux  tribes.  These  treaties  of  peace  and 
friendship  were  signed  on  July  19,  1815.42 

After  the  War  of  1812  Henry  Dodge  ex 
changed  the  occupation  of  war  for  that  of 
lead-mining.  Subsequent  to  the  year  1818 
there  was  a  persistent  agitation  for  the  ad 
mission  of  Missouri  as  a  State.  In  May  of 
1820  Henry  Dodge  was  chosen  as  one  of 
the  four  delegates  from  Ste.  Genevieve 
County  to  attend  the  constitutional  conven 
tion  at  St.  Louis  in  the  following  June. 
Here  he  met  his  former  comrades-in-arms, 
David  Barton  and  Nathaniel  Cook,  and 
such  men  as  Nathan  Boone  and  John  Scott 
who  were  delegates  at  this  convention.43 
The  convention  adopted  the  Constitution  on 
July  19,  1820;  and  Henry  Dodge  thus  wit 
nessed  the  last  and  permanent  stage  in  the 
early  political  evolution  of  Missouri. 


Ill 


LEAD-MINING  IN  MISSOURI,  ILLINOIS,  AND 
MICHIGAN  TERRITORY 

THE  earliest  movements  into  what  is  now 
Missouri  were  prompted  by  the  hope  of 
finding  mineral  wealth;  and  in  this  search 
the  French,  the  Spanish,  and  the  settlers  of 
Illinois  had  joined.  Lead,  peltries,  and  salt 
were  the  principal  articles  of  export  when 
Louisiana  was  first  acquired  by  the  United 
States.  As  early  as  1809  the  first  shot-tower 
was  in  operation  at  Herculaneum.  While 
the  lead  was  abundant  and  easily  mined  the 
cost  of  transporting  it  from  the  mines  to  the 
river  had  always  been  a  problem.44 

Henry  Dodge  had  grown  to  manhood  in 
the  lead-mining  region  and  undoubtedly  had 
served  his  apprenticeship  in  his  father's 
business  of  salt  and  lead-mining  and  in  the 
operation  of  distilleries.  No  doubt  he  had 
often  accompanied  Israel  Dodge  in  his  trips 
down  the  Mississippi  River  to  New  Orleans. 
After  the  war  he  had  resumed  his  business 

28 


LEAD  MINING  29 

of  salt -making  at  the  mouth  of  the  Saline 
Biver.  While  this  business  was  profitable, 
the  use  of  steamboats  after  1817  cheapened 
transportation  from  the  Ohio  Valley  so  that 
prices  declined  from  $5.00  to  $.75  a  bushel. 
In  Jefferson  County  he  carried  on  the  busi 
ness  of  mining  and  smelting  lead.  The  old 
Spanish  milled  dollars  were  still  in  use ;  but 
there  was  no  small  coin.  ' '  I  have  frequently 
seen  my  father",  said  his  son  Augustus,  "go 
to  a  blacksmith  shop  with  a  bag  of  silver 
dollars,  and  then  cut  them  up  into  halves, 
quarters  and  eighths,  for  small  change.  My 
mother  made  buckskin  pockets  in  his  clothes 
to  carry  this  fractional  currency."45 

For  several  years  the  fame  of  the  Upper 
Mississippi  Lead  Mines  had  been  spreading 
and  their  steady  competition  had  seriously 
embarrassed  Henry  Dodge's  fortune.  Since 
1822  hordes  of  speculators  and  squatters 
from  Missouri,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and 
southern  Illinois  had  rushed  to  the  Fever 
River  lead  region  in  upper  Illinois.  Drawn 
into  this  current  of  migration,  Henry  Dodge 
emigrated  in  182746  with  his  wife,  nine  chil 
dren,  and  a  family  of  slaves  to  this  new  land 
of  opportunity. 

Embarking  on  the  "Indiana"  the  Dodges 


30  HENRY  DODGE 

with  other  miners  soon  reached  the  Rapids 
of  the  River  Des  Moines  where  they  were 
forced  to  transfer  to  a  keel-boat.  For  twen 
ty-four  days  this  primitive  craft  was  rowed 
and  towed  against  the  steady  current  of  the 
Mississippi  by  some  forty  French  oarsmen 
up  to  Galena  —  a  distance  of  about  two  hun 
dred  miles.  Shovels,  picks,  buckets,  and 
windlasses  were  stowed  in  the  boat.  The 
apartments  for  passengers  were  crowded; 
while  the  food  was  in  keeping  with  the  other 
discomforts.  Montrose  and  Fort  Madison 
were  left  behind.  Passing  the  bluffs  where 
now  stands  Burlington,  Henry  Dodge  little 
thought  that  here  he  would  spend  his  last 
days  and  find  his  final  resting-place.47 

Arriving  at  Galena  late  in  the  summer  of 
1827,  Henry  Dodge  spent  several  months  in 
prospecting  for  lead ;  and  he  also  assisted  in 
quelling  Indian  disturbances  and  outbreaks 
to  be  described  later.  Everywhere  he  found 
an  enterprising  and  adventurous  set  of  men. 
Population  was  increasing  by  strides  and 
bounds;  labor  was  scarce  and  high-priced; 
and  in  July,  1828,  there  was  a  demand  for 
five  hundred  men  who  could  find  employ 
ment  at  $17  to  $25  per  month  with  board.48 

You  cannot  get",  writes  an  observer  in 


.. 


LEAD  MINING  31 

December,  1827,  "a  hand  even  to  cook  or  to 
wait  about  your  house  for  less  than  $15  per 
month  in  silver".49 

It  is  likely  that  Dodge  could  find  no  de 
sirable  location  in  the  region  about  Galena ; 
and  so  on  the  3rd  of  November,  1827,  he 
established  himself  near  the  present  city  of 
Dodgeville  in  what  is  now  Iowa  County, 
Wisconsin  —  then  a  portion  of  Michigan 
Territory.50  Such  men  as  Charles  Bracken, 
Ebenezer  Brigham,  and  John  H.  Roundtree 
also  migrated  to  the  lead  region  to  devote 
themselves  to  the  lead  industry.  Henry 
Dodge  was  one  of  the  first  to  build  a  smelting 
furnace.51 

"He  made  friendly  terms  with  the  In 
dians  of  the  neighborhood",  writes  Salter, 
"and  gave  them  presents  as  in  the  way  of 
rent  for  occupying  their  lands.  He  made  a 
home  for  his  family,  and  took  precautions 
for  their  protection  and  safety.  More  than 
a  hundred  miners  soon  gathered  to  the 
4 camp'.  The  neighborhood  resounded  with 
the  stroke  of  the  ax  and  the  click  of  tools. 
Shafts  were  sunk  in  every  direction.  He 
discovered  the  only  lode  in  the  region  that 
proved  to  be  of  much  value."52 

The  political  problems  of  this  frontier 


32  HENRY  DODGE 

community  were  the  outgrowth  of  economic 
conditions.  It  was  inconceivable  that  the 
rich  lead  deposits  could  long  remain  in  their 
virgin  state.  The  trespassing  of  the  squatter 
miners  tended  to  bring  them  into  conflict 
with  Federal  statutes  and  with  the  Indians 
—  treaties  with  whom  too  often  lacked  defi- 
niteness.  Not  a  little  of  the  activity  of 
Dodge  in  the  mining  district  consisted  in 
adjusting  his  relations  with  the  Federal 
statutes,  with  Indian  Agents,  and  with  the 
Indian  tribes. 

In  January  of  1828  Joseph  M.  Street,  the 
Indian  Agent  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  reported 
to  William  Clark,  the  Superintendent  of 
Indian  Affairs  at  St.  Louis,  that  Dodge 
with  about  fifty  well-armed  men  had  settled 
upon  ground  which  had  been  reserved  by  the 
treaty  of  August  24, 1816.  "Many  are  flock 
ing  to  him  from  Fever  River",  wrote  Street, 
"and  he  permits  them  to  join  upon  paying 
certain  stipulated  portions  of  the  original 
purchase.  The  ore  is  more  abundant,  nearer 
the  surface,  and  obtained  with  greater  fa 
cility  than  ever  known  in  this  country.  It 
is  said  that  he  has  raised  about  half  a  mil 
lion  of  mineral,  smelted  from  900  to  1000 
bars,  and  is  smelting  fifty  bars  a  day.  With 


LEAD  MINING  33 

two  negro  men  he  raises  about  2000  pounds 
per  day.'7  53 

Mutterings  of  discontent  now  arose 
among  the  Winnebagoes  whose  lands  had 
thus  been  encroached  upon,  and  Street  be 
came  greatly  alarmed.  Sub-Agent  John 
Marsh  was  sent  to  notify  Dodge  to  move  off 
instantly  if  he  did  not  wish  to  be  removed  by 
force.  ' '  Gen.  Dodge ' ',  wrote  the  sub-agent,54 
"  resides  in  a  small  stockade  fort  near  the 
principal  mine.  There  are  about  twenty  log 
houses  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  besides 
several  more  remote.  He  has  a  double 
furnace  in  constant  operation,  and  a  large 
quantity  of  lead  in  bars  and  in  the  crude 
state.  From  the  best  information  I  have 
been  able  to  obtain  there  are  about  one  hun 
dred  and  thirty  men  engaged  in  mining  at 
this  place,  and  completely  armed  with  rifles 
and  pistols.  I  was  also  informed  that  there 
[were]  about  fifteen  Winnebagoes  ten  or 
twelve  miles  distant  who  frequently  visit  the 
mines,  and  who  have  been  presented  by  Gen. 
Dodge  with  several  hundred  dollars  worth 
of  provisions  and  merchandise.  When  about 
to  return,  I  was  desired  by  Gen.  Dodge  to 
inform  you  that  he  should  leave  the  country 
as  soon  as  he  conveniently  could." 


34  HENRY  DODGE 

Henry  Dodge  declined,  however,  to  leave 
the  mining  region,  believing  that  more  defi 
nite  treaties  with  the  Indians  should  and 
would  be  made  in  the  near  future.  Although 
Agent  Street  had  attempted  to  raise  a  mili 
tary  force  with  which  to  oust  him,  Dodge 
and  his  miners  held  their  ground  and  re 
mained  unmolested.  He  had  not  long  to 
wait  for  the  extinguishment  of  the  titles  to 
the  Indian  lands.  Indeed  his  own  name 
stands  appended  as  a  witness  to  the  treaty  of 
August  1, 1829,55  by  which  the  Winnebagoes 
sold  their  lands  in  the  mining  district  to  the 
United  States.  The  consideration  was 
$18,000  and  large  quantities  of  merchandise 
-  both  to  be  paid  annually  for  thirty  years. 

From  Helena  on  the  Wisconsin  Eiver  he 
continued  to  ship  lead  to  New  Orleans,  as  his 
father  Israel  Dodge  had  done  thirty  years 
before.  These  river  shipments,  made  with 
out  transferring  the  cargoes  to  steamers  at 
St.  Louis,  required  over  three  months. 
When  the  Indian  lands  came  into  market 
he  bought  more  than  a  thousand  acres,  and 
upon  this  land  he  lived  for  nearly  forty 
years.56 

The  increase  of  population,  wealth,  and 
commerce  due  to  the  development  of  the  lead 


LEAD  MINING  35 

industry  now  created  a  demand  for  a  sep 
arate  Territory.  In  this  demand  the  inhab 
itants  of  the  lead  region  found  an  able  and 
willing  champion  in  Henry  Dodge.  Himself 
vitally  interested  in  the  industry  he  well 
foresaw  that  an  expanding  trade  and  popu 
lation  would  soon  require  more  adequate 
laws  and  administration  than  could  be  fur 
nished  by  the  Legislative  Assembly  at  De 
troit  —  nearly  a  thousand  miles  away.  The 
business  relations  of  the  miners  were  with 
Missouri,  Illinois,  and  the  General  Govern 
ment  rather  than  with  the  peninsula  of  Mich 
igan. 

To  Austin  E.  Wing,  the  Territorial  Dele 
gate  from  Michigan,  he  stated  his  views  in 
February  of  1829.57  "  Taxation  and  repre 
sentation  should  go  together,"  he  urged, 
"and  it  will  readily  appear,  on  examination 
of  the  returns  made  by  the  superintendent 
of  the  United  States'  lead-mines,  that  the 
people  of  this  mining  country  have  paid  a 
greater  amount  of  taxes  than  any  equal  num 
ber  of  citizens  in  the  United  States,  or  Ter 
ritories;  and  that,  a  direct  tax  upon  the 
labour  of  the  whole  community. ' '  He  point 
ed  out  that  representation  was  inadequate; 
that  the  laws  were  not  adapted  to  the  com- 


36'  HENRY  DODGE 

munity;  and  that  the  protection  from  In 
dians  was  insufficient. 

In  1831  Henry  Dodge  and  Morgan  L. 
Martin  were  elected  to  the  Fifth  Legislative 
Council  of  Michigan  Territory  to  represent 
the  whole  region  west  of  Lake  Michigan ;  but 
the  events  of  the  Black  Hawk  War  the  next 
year  prevented  Dodge  from  attending  the 
sessions  at  Detroit.58 

Three  days  before  his  election  he  had 
again  expressed  his  views  concerning  the 
division  of  the  Territory.  "Laws  then  can 
be  made",  he  said,  "suited  to  the  manners, 
habits,  and  condition  of  the  people  residing 
within  the  limits  of  the  contemplated  terri 
tory.  The  relation  we  stand  to  the  General 
Government  makes  it  important  to  us  that 
we  should  have  a  direct  representation  at 
Washington.  Living  on  the  United  States 
lands  and  working  their  lead  mines,  it  be 
comes  a  matter  of  much  interest  to  the  min 
ing  country  that  the  rights  of  pre-emption 
should  be  secured  to  them  on  the  most  liberal 
principles  both  for  the  farms  they  occupy 
as  well  as  their  mineral  grounds."  59 

A  few  months  later  in  behalf  of  the  mining 
region  he  prepared  and  addressed  a  memo 
rial  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  Lewis  Cass,  in 


LEAD  MINING  37 

which  he  clearly  described  the  situation  and 
the  conditions  of  the  citizens  living  in  the 
mineral  region.60  The  United  States  Gov 
ernment  had  invited  the  people  to  the  lead 
region  when  it  could  not  give  them  protec 
tion  on  the  frontiers.  Indian  hostilities  in 
1827  forced  a  suspension  of  work  for  one 
year  and  left  them  without  the  means  of  re 
turning  to  the  communities  from  which  they 
had  emigrated.  Under  such  conditions  the 
people  settled  upon  the  mineral  lands.  Fur 
thermore,  he  urged,  millions  of  pounds  of 
lead  had  been  given  to  the  United  States  as 
rent  since  1827.  The  price  of  lead  had  de 
clined,  and  the  memorialists  earnestly  hoped 
that  the  tariff  on  the  article  would  not  be 
increased. 

Should  the  government  decide  to  survey 
and  then  sell  the  mineral  lands,  Dodge  urged 
that  each  miner  who  had  complied  with  the 
government  laws  should  be  given  the  privi 
lege  of  working  out  all  discoveries  made  on 
mineral  lots  or  surveys.  Without  such  a 
reservation  miners  who  have  had  mineral 
lands  in  their  possession  for  years  might  be 
left  destitute  through  the  purchase  of  their 
lands  by  speculators. 

Many  events  combined  to  delav  for  four 


38  HENRY  DODGE 

years  the  division  of  Michigan  Territory; 
and  in  the  meantime  Henry  Dodge's  active 
career  in  the  mining  industry  ends  and  be 
comes  transferred  for  four  years  to  the  drill- 
ground,  the  camp,  the  march,  and  the  field 
of  battle.  By  the  people  of  the  mining  coun 
try  his  services  were  valued  and,  indeed, 
happily  remembered  when  in  1836  a  Govern 
or  for  the  original  Territory  of  Wisconsin 
was  appointed. 


IV 

INDIAN  UPRISINGS  AND  DISCONTENT 

SINCE  the  war  of  1812  the  General  Gov 
ernment  had  enjoyed  peace  with  the  Indian 
tribes,  and  many  treaties  of  friendship  had 
been  negotiated  prior  to  1827  —  a  year  that 
marks  the  beginning  of  a  period  of  spas 
modic  Indian  disturbances  with  which 
Henry  Dodge's  military  career  becomes 
linked.  A  brief  retrospect  into  the  causes 
and  conditions  of  these  outbreaks  is  neces 
sary  to  secure  a  narrative  of  the  Indian  wars 
of  more  than  three  quarters  of  a  century 
ago. 

By  the  treaty  of  August  24,  1816,  a  divi 
sion  line  was  run  between  the  lands  of  the 
Ottawas,  Chippewas,  and  Pottawattamies  of 
the  Illinois  Eiver  and  those  of  the  Winne- 
bagoes.61  This  treaty  was  subsequently  re 
affirmed  by  the  Winnebagoes  in  the  treaty 
of  August  19, 1825.62  Upon  the  lands  of  the 
former  the  treaty  had  allowed  (under  cer 
tain  conditions)  diggings  and  settlements  to 

39 


40  HENRY  DODGE 

be  made.  In  the  years  1825  and  1826  the 
lead  mania  was  at  its  height.  Diggings 
were  commenced  and  pushed  without  regard 
to  the  treaty  line  until  at  last  the  mines  were 
in  the  acknowledged  territory  of  the  Winne- 
bagoes. 

The  Indians  remonstrated  and  even  con 
tended  against  the  miners  who  drove  them 
from  their  own  lands.  The  Indians  became 
much  soured,  exhibited  symptoms  of  great 
discontent,  and  behaved  roughly  to  miners 
crossing  the  Rock  River  (within  the  Winne- 
bago  limits)  and  passing  to  their  diggings. 
The  Indians  charged  and  exacted  heavy  toll 
and  in  some  cases  forced  property  from  the 
trespassers.  Thus  were  the  Indians  ' l  driven 
from  the  mines,  and  spoiled  of  the  valuable 
product  of  the  mines  on  their  lands,  and 
goaded  into  a  state  of  high  excitement".63 

Such  were  the  beginnings  of  Winnebago 
discontent  when  Henry  Dodge  was  about  to 
migrate  from  Missouri  to  the  lead  region  of 
the  Upper  Mississippi.  It  had  been  hoped 
that  the  treaty  of  August  25th  would  be  a 
lasting  one ;  but  during  the  winter  of  1826- 
1827  the  older  citizens  of  Prairie  du  Chien 
had  grave  fears  of  Indian  uprisings  and  out 
rages  in  the  following  spring.64  Moreover, 


INDIAN  UPRISINGS  41 

these  fears  were  well  grounded ;  for  in  March 
of  1827  a  man  named  Methode,  his  wife,  and 
five  children  were  killed  by  Winnebagoes 
about  twelve  miles  above  Prairie  du  Chien. 
Red  Bird,  a  Winnebago  chief,  with  two 
others  murdered  Solomon  Litcap  and  Regis- 
tre  Gagnier  and  scalped  a  baby  near  the 
same  village  late  in  June,  1827.65 

On  the  same  day  (June  26th)  the  Winne 
bago  and  Sac  Indians  fiercely  attacked  two 
keel-boats  at  the  mouth  of  the  Bad  Axe 
River  above  Prairie  du  Chien.  Two  of  the 
crew  were  killed  and  four  wounded;  while 
among  the  Indians  seven  were  killed  and  a 
large  number  wounded.66 

Arms,  ammunition,  and  men  were  now 
hastily  gathered  at  Fort  Crawford  and  at 
Galena  where  Brigadier  General  Henry  At 
kinson  had  arrived  from  St.  Louis  with  a 
force  of  six  hundred  infantry  and  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty  mounted  men.  Everywhere 
the  enterprising  miners  were  forsaking  their 
diggings  and  fortifying  their  stockades. 

Meanwhile  Henry  Dodge  had  arrived  at 
Galena,  where  it  was  soon  learned  that  he 
was  a  man  experienced  in  Indian  warfare. 
A  company  of  one  hundred  mounted  volun 
teers  was  raised  from  the  miners  and  Dodge 


42  HENRY  DODGE 

was  chosen  its  commander.  The  settlers  of 
the  surrounding  country  had  fled  into  Ga 
lena  for  safety.  "The  little  place",  wrote 
an  eye-witness,  "was  crowded  with  families 
pouring  in  from  all  parts  of  the  Mines.  The 
flat  prairie  between  the  bluff  and  the  river 
was  covered  with  wagons,  the  families  camp 
ing  in  them;  block-houses  were  erected  on 
the  hill,  companies  forming,  drums  beating, 
and  Gen.  Dodge  was  busily  engaged  in  or 
ganizing  troops,  and  creating  order  and  con 
fidence  out  of  terror  and  confusion."  67 

Dodge  now  cooperated  with  Brigadier 
General  Atkinson,  to  whom  he  wrote  from 
Galena:  "As  the  principal  part  of  the  ef 
ficient  force  is  preparing  to  accompany  you 
on  your  expedition  up  the  Ouisconsin,  it 
might  have  a  good  effect  to  send  a  small 
regular  force  to  this  part  of  the  country,  and 
in  our  absence  they  might  render  protection 
to  this  region."68 

Red  Bird  and  his  Winnebagoes  had  fled 
up  the  Wisconsin  River.  Thither  Dodge 
marched  his  men,  one  detachment  going  to 
Prairie  du  Chien  and  the  remainder  to 
English  Prairie  (now  Muscoda)  in  the 
northeast  corner  of  Grant  County.  These 
mounted  men  scoured  both  sides  of  the  Wis- 


INDIAN  UPRISINGS  43 

consin  River  from  its  mouth  to  the  Portage, 
driving  everything  before  them.  It  was  at 
this  time  that  Dodge  saved  the  life  of  the 
fifteen  year  old  son  of  Chief  Winneshiek, 
who  was  almost  shot  because  he  refused  to 
surrender.69 

Major  William  Whistler  had  collected  a 
force  at  the  Portage  and  had  been  given  or 
ders  to  await  the  arrival  of  Atkinson's  force. 
"The  Winnebagoes  were  now  in  a  desperate 
plight",  declares  an  historian  of  these  In 
dian  wars.  "With  Col.  Snelling  in  com 
mand  at  Fort  Crawford,  with  a  large  force 
of  regulars  and  volunteers,  confronted  by 
Major  Whistler  and  his  troops,  and  with 
Gen.  Atkinson  following  their  retreat,  aided 
by  Dodge  and  his  mounted  volunteers,  who 
drove  them  out  of  every  hiding  place,  there 
seemed  to  be  no  alternative  for  them  but  to 
appeal  to  the  lenient  mercy  of  their  pur 
suers."70 

The  Indians  to  the  number  of  several  hun 
dred  were  at  this  time  encamped  within  a 
few  miles  of  the  place  where  Major 
Whistler's  force  was  collected.  Hearing  of 
the  quick  marches  of  Atkinson  and  Dodge 
the  Winnebagoes  were  filled  with  consterna 
tion.  In  a  few  days  a  truce  was  sent  to 


44  HENRY  DODGE 

Major  Whistler  who  received  the  surrender 
of  Red  Bird  and  the  other  Indians  who  had 
committed  the  murders.71 

Such  was  the  Winnebago  War  of  1827. 
Through  the  prompt  efforts  of  Governor 
Lewis  Cass  the  military  forces  of  the  Terri 
tory  were  quickly  mobilized  and  a  general 
Indian  uprising  was  prevented.  "The  ter 
mination  of  the  Winnebago  war",  writes 
Moses  M.  Strong,  "brought  a  temporary 
restoration  of  peace,  which  revived  anew 
the  adventurous  spirit  of  immigration,  and 
brought  with  it  a  large  influx  of  miners  and 
others  to  the  Lead  Mines,  and  prosperity 
and  progress  constantly  attended  the  in 
creasing  settlements  of  the  country,  which 
received  no  material  check  until  the  occur 
rence  of  the  Black  Hawk  war  in  1832. "72 

When  Dodge  removed  to  the  lead  region 
of  Wisconsin  in  1827  he  became  a  tireless 
advocate  of  the  rights  of  the  miners.  When 
mutterings  of  discontent  arose  from  the 
Winnebagoes  he  was  foremost  in  memorial 
izing  the  government  for  better  frontier 
protection.  In  1828  Fort  Winnebago  was 
erected  with  special  reference  to  keeping  the 
tribe  in  order.  By  the  treaty  of  August  1, 
1829,73  the  Winnebagoes  ceded  to  the  United 


INDIAN  UPEISINGS  45 

States  their  claims  to  the  lead  region  be 
tween  the  Wisconsin  and  Rock  rivers  and 
thus  relieved  the  people  of  that  country  of 
a  restless  and  dangerous  tribe. 

Another  Indian  disturbance  broke  out 
in  Illinois  in  1831.  It  was  the  prelude  to  the 
Black  Hawk  War  in  which  Henry  Dodge, 
who  since  1827  had  not  forsaken  the  peaceful 
pursuits  of  lead  mining  and  smelting,  was  to 
win  fame  and  glory  in  the  battles  of  Peca- 
tonica,  Wisconsin  Heights,  and  Bad  Axe  as 
the  "captain  of  an  aggressive  civilization". 
And  it  is  in  this  preliminary  disturbance 
that  the  chief  actor  in  the  dramatic  episode 
of  1832,  known  as  the  Black  Hawk  War, 
prepares  his  role. 

The  restless  Black  Hawk  (Black  Spar 
row  Hawk  or  Makataimeshekiakiak)  was 
the  leader  of  the  Sac  (or  Sauk)  village  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Rock  River  near  the  pres 
ent  site  of  Rock  Island.  Born  in  1767  he  had 
been  a  warrior  from  his  youth,  had  been  in 
the  service  of  the  British  in  the  War  of  1812, 
and  had  been  aid-de-camp  to  the  great  Te- 
cumseh.  After  the  close  of  that  war  he  had 
never  joined  in  making  peace  with  the 
United  States ;  but  he  and  his  band  had  kept 
up  their  connection  with  Canada.74 


46  HENRY  DODGE 

Black  Hawk's  entire  village  was  included 
in  the  territory  ceded  by  the  Sacs  and  Foxes 
in  the  treaty  of  November  3,  1804.75  The 
validity  of  this  treaty  was  denied  by  Black 
Hawk,  although  it  had  been  ratified  and  con 
firmed  in  the  subsequent  treaty  of  May  13, 
1816,76  to  which  Black  Hawk's  mark  stands 
affixed.  The  treaty  of  August  19, 1825,77  had 
likewise  recognized  the  binding  force  of 
these  compacts. 

By  the  spring  of  1831  the  whites  were  al 
ready  in  possession  of  the  country  surround 
ing  Black  Hawk's  village  and  were  even  in 
vading  the  village  itself.  With  about  three 
hundred  warriors,  together  with  their  women 
and  children,  Black  Hawk  now  recrossed 
the  Mississippi  from  the  west,  determined  to 
regain  the  possession  of  the  home  of  his  peo 
ple  and  the  resting  place  of  their  ancestors. 
"He  ordered  the  white  settlers  away,  threw 
down  their  fences,  unroofed  their  houses,  cut 
up  their  grain,  drove  off  and  killed  their  cat 
tle,  and  threatened  the  people  with  death  if 
they  remained.  The  settlers  made  their 
complaints  to  Governor  Reynolds.  The  acts 
of  the  Indians  were  considered  by  the  Gov 
ernor  to  be  an  invasion  of  the  State."78 

The  cry  of  war  was  raised,  and  by  June 


INDIAN  UPRISINGS  47 

10th  as  many  as  fifteen  hundred  volunteers 
had  rushed  to  Beardstown  on  the  Illinois 
River  and  were  prepared  to  march  to  the 
seat  of  war.  When  the  volunteers  reached 
the  site  of  Black  Hawk's  village  they  found 
that  the  enemy  had  fled  that  morning  to  the 
west  side  of  the  Mississippi  River.  The  sol 
diers  set  fire  to  the  wigwams,  and  thus  per 
ished  forever  an  ancient  village  which  had 
been  the  pleasant  abode  of  thousands  of  In 
dians. 

General  Edmund  P.  Gaines,  commanding 
the  volunteers,  had  threatened  to  pursue 
the  fleeing  Indians,  and  Black  Hawk  and 
his  braves  now  returned  to  sue  for  peace.  A 
treaty  was  signed  on  June  30, 1831,  by  Major 
General  Gaines,  Governor  John  Reynolds, 
and  the  chiefs  and  braves  of  the  Sacs,  or 
" British  Band  of  Rock  River",  whereby  the 
latter  recognized  former  treaties  and  agreed 
to  remain  forever  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Mississippi  River.79 

"The  Sauks  were  as  completely  hum 
bled",  remarked  Major  General  Gaines,  "as 
if  they  had  been  chastised  in  battle,  and  less 
disposed  to  disturb  the  frontier  inhabit 
ants."80  But  in  this  he  was  mistaken,  since 
the  treaty  only  shifted  the  principal  theatre 


48  HENRY  DODGE 

of  operations  for  the  Black  Hawk  War 
nearer  to  the  region  where  Atkinson  and 
Dodge  had  pursued  the  Winnebagoes  four 
years  before. 


V 

THE  BLACK  HAWK  WARSI 

THE  Black  Hawk  War  was  an  Indian  War 
in  northern  Illinois  and  in  the  southern  part 
of  what  is  now  the  State  of  Wisconsin  and 
was  carried  on  between  April  6th  and  August 
2, 1832.  It  engaged  on  the  one  side  from  five 
hundred  to  eight  hundred  Sacs  and  Winne- 
bagoes  commanded  by  Black  Hawk  and  the 
Prophet  Neapope  and  on  the  other  about 
four  thousand  regulars,  militiamen,  and  vol 
unteers  officered  by  such  men  as  Henry  At 
kinson,  Milton  K.  Alexander,  Alexander 
Posey,  James  D.  Henry,  and  Henry  Dodge. 
The  principal  engagements  are  known  as 
S  tollman's  Defeat,  and  the  battles  of  Peca- 
tonica,  Wisconsin  Heights,  and  Bad  Axe. 
The  causes  of  this  war  have  been  indicated 
in  the  preceding  chapter. 

For  several  months  after  the  treaty  of 
June,  1831,  Black  Hawk  had  nursed  his 
wrath  against  the  whites  while  he  was  win 
tering  near  Fort  Madison  with  his  British 

4-  49 


50  HENRY  DODGE 

band  of  Sacs.  On  the  6th  of  April,  1832, 
they  crossed  the  Mississippi  River  at  Yellow 
Banks  and  invaded  the  Commonwealth  of 
Illinois.82  The  die  was  cast. 

It  was  not,  however,  until  a  week  later 
that  Brigadier  General  Atkinson,  then  com 
manding  the  Western  Department,  learned 
of  the  invasion  and  informed  Governor  John 
Reynolds.83  The  latter  at  once  issued  a  flam 
ing  proclamation  directing  that  the  militia 
be  assembled  at  Beardstown  on  the  22nd  of 
April.84  It  appears  that  Atkinson  was  send 
ing  troops,  arms,  ammunition,  boats,  stores, 
and  camp  equipage  from  St.  Louis.  He  also 
dispatched  messengers  to  Black  Hawk 
threatening  him  with  expulsion  by  force  of 
arms  if  he  did  not  at  once  withdraw  to  the 
country  west  of  the  Mississippi  River. 

Meanwhile  Black  Hawk's  band  was  mov 
ing  up  the  Rock  River.  The  militia,  march 
ing  on  April  27th  from  Beardstown  to  Yel 
low  Banks,  began  the  pursuit  of  Black 
Hawk  early  in  May.  On  May  12th  Dixon's 
Ferry  was  reached.  Here  they  found  Major 
Isaiah  Stillman  with  a  battalion  of  two 
hundred  and  seventy-five  men  awaiting  the 
force  from  Beardstown  under  Brigadier 
General  Samuel  Whiteside.85  Pursuant  to 


THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR  51 

Stillman's  wishes  this  battalion  was  ordered 
"to  proceed  without  delay  to  the  head  of 
Old  Man's  Creek,  where  it  is  supposed 
there  are  some  hostile  Indians  and  coerce 
them  into  submission."86 

On  the  14th  of  May  these  raw,  undisci 
plined,  and  insubordinate  troops,  more  or 
less  filled  with  frolic  and  fermented  liquor, 
encountered  the  enemy.  For  the  whites  the 
battle  was  a  prototype  of  the  battle  of  Bull 
Run.  The  disastrous  rout  resulted  in  the 
death  of  eleven  whites  and  three  Indians, 
besides  the  wounding  of  many  more  on  both 
sides.87  For  the  Americans,  Stillman's  De 
feat  (or  Stillman's  Run)  remained  the  most 
disastrous  encounter  of  the  Black  Hawk 
War. 

This  event  inaugurated  a  reign  of  terror 
in  the  region  between  the  Illinois  and  the 
Wisconsin  rivers.  The  newspapers  teem 
with  florid  descriptions  of  the  war.  To 
AEMS!  To  ARMS!  BLOOD  AND  CARNAGE 
MARK  BLACK  HAWK'S  PATH!  Thus  read 
the  headlines  of  bold  faced  type.  The  gov 
ernment  is  criticized  for  not  providing 
proper  protection.  Racy  reports  of  Indian 
attacks,  movements  of  troops,  and  the  valor 
of  commanders  follow;  while  the  effects  of 


52  HENRY  DODGE 

the  war  upon  mining  and  farming  are  ex 
pressed  in  bitter  lamentations.88 

Henry  Dodge  at  this  time  held  the  com 
mission  of  Colonel  in  the  militia  of  Iowa 
County  of  Michigan  Territory.  On  April 
25th  Brigadier  General  Henry  Atkinson  had 
directed  him  to  raise  as  many  mounted  men 
as  could  be  found  in  that  county.  This  was 
done.89  The  wave  of  fear  and  excitement 
had  by  this  time  reached  the  mining  region 
where  Dodge  lived,  and  on  May  8th  he  wrote 
a  letter  to  Governor  John  Reynolds.90  In 
this  communication  he  indicated  the  exposed 
situation  of  the  miners  and  expressed  his 
fear  of  a  general  union  and  uprising  of  the 
Indian  tribes.  "  Could  you  detach  a  part  of 
your  command  across  the  Rock  River,"  he 
suggested,  "you  would  afford  our  settle 
ments  immediate  protection." 

About  this  time  Colonel  Dodge  with  twen 
ty-seven  mounted  men  (including  his  son 
Augustus  Caesar)  started  (on  the  8th  or  9th 
of  May)  on  a  reconnoitering  expedition  to 
the  Rock  River  to  ascertain  the  movements 
of  Black  Hawk's  band.  Proceeding  by  way 
of  Apple  River  to  Buffalo  Grove  they  came 
within  a  few  miles  of  where  Stillman  had 
been  routed  a  few  hours  before.91  "Gen. 


THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR  53 

Dodge  with  a  Spartan  band  of  about  30 
miners",  noted  The  Galenian,  " arrived  at 
the  ferry  [Dixon's]  last  Monday  [May  14], 
in  time  to  join  the  other  troops."92 

Learning  that  Governor  Reynolds  could 
spare  no  troops  and  that  the  mining  region 
was  in  imminent  danger  of  Indian  attack 
Colonel  Dodge  immediately  returned  home. 
He  reported  his  fears  to  the  miners  and  ad 
vised  them  "to  fort"  themselves  and  to  or 
ganize  immediately  to  defend  their  lives  and 
property.  Horses  were  given,  purchased, 
and  impressed  for  the  service.  Colonel 
Dodge's  smelting  works  near  Dodge ville 
were  given  the  name  of  Fort  Union  and  be 
came  his  headquarters.  "  Fathers  were  fre 
quently  called  upon  to  defend  their  own 
threshholds",  said  his  son  fifty-one  years 
later.  "And  mothers  and  sisters  moulded 
bullets,  and  carried  water,  filling  barrels  in 
order  to  have  a  supply  during  the  antici 
pated  siege.  My  mother  and  sisters  have 
done  both."93 

With  fifty  mounted  volunteers  command 
ed  by  Captains  James  H.  Gentry  and  John 
H.  Eoundtree,  Colonel  Dodge  now  proceeded 
to  the  Four  Lakes  (near  the  present  site  of 
Madison).  His  trusted  friend,  Henry  Gra- 


54  HENRY  DODGE 

tiot,  sub-agent  of  the  Winnebagoes,  accom 
panied  him.  They  intended  to  meet  the 
Winnebagoes  and  to  dissuade  them  from 
joining  Black  Hawk's  band.  The  talk  was 
given  them  on  May  25th.94  Dodge  referred 
to  the  murderous  course  of  Black  Hawk,  and 
declared  that  the  great  American  father  was 
the  friend  of  the  Red  Skins.  "The  Sacs 
have  given  you  bad  council,  they  tell  you  lies 
and  no  truth ;  stop  your  ears  to  their  words." 
If  you  are  unfaithful  to  your  treaties, 
warned  Dodge,  you  must  expect  to  share  the 
fate  of  the  Sacs.  The  Indians  gave  assur 
ances  of  peace  and  friendship. 

Returning  to  his  headquarters  Colonel 
Dodge  learned  of  new  Indian  depredations. 
On  May  20th  near  Ottawa,  Illinois,  Sylvia 
and  Rachel  Hall  had  been  abducted;  and 
about  the  same  time  fifteen  persons  were 
killed  and  scalped.95  Dodge  immediately 
raised  a  force  of  two  hundred  mounted  men 
and  secured  the  release  of  the  prisoners  from 
a  party  of  friendly  Winnebagoes  to  whom 
they  had  been  surrendered. 

A  few  days  later  five  men  (including  Felix 
St.  Vrain,  the  Indian  Agent  of  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes)  were  killed  and  scalped  near  Buf 
falo  Grove.96  Early  in  June  the  volunteers 


THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR  55 

under  Colonel  Dodge  were  again  on  the 
march,  and  in  turn  they  passed  through  Blue 
Mound  Fort,  Colonel  James  Morrison's 
farm,  Gratiot's  Grove,  and  Defiance.97  They 
were  a  dare-devil,  adventurous  set  of  men 
gathered  from  the  fields  and  mines.  They 
knew  no  manual  of  arms  but  were  spurred 
on  by  a  deep  hatred  of  the  red  race. 

Arriving  at  Kirker's  Place,  in  Jo  Daviess 
County,  the  Colonel  delivered  a  stirring  ad 
dress  to  his  volunteers.  He  plead  for  har 
mony,  union,  and  coolness  in  the  presence  of 
danger.  The  Indians  were  denounced  as  a 
faithless  band  of  banditti  who  had  violated 
all  treaties.  "Let  us  avoid  surprise  and 
ambuscades ;  let  every  volunteer  lie  with  his 
arms  in  his  hands,  ready  prepared  for 
action,  so  that  when  each  volunteer  rises  to 
his  feet,  the  line  of  battle  will  be  formed."98 

On  the  same  afternoon  they  reached  the 
scene  of  the  murder  of  St.  Vrain,  whose  re 
mains  they  interred.  The  next  night  they 
encamped  at  Hickory  Point,  where  five  of 
their  horses  were  stolen  by  the  Indians.  At 
Ottawa  on  June  llth  he  had  a  conference 
with  Brigadier  General  Atkinson  at  which 
the  whole  future  campaign  was  mapped  out. 
Two  days  later  the  command  again  reached 


56  HENRY  DODGE 

Gratiot's  Grove,  worn  and  exhausted  by 
more  than  a  week's  strenuous  marching. 
There  the  volunteers  were  dispersed  to  their 
respective  forts  to  rest  and  recuperate  and 
to  await  the  Colonel's  further  orders." 

Mounted  volunteers  were  arriving  daily  at 
Atkinson's  headquarters.  "I  am  con 
vinced",  writes  Colonel  Dodge  from  Gra 
tiot's  Grove  on  June  14,  1832,  "that  we  are 
not  to  have  peace  with  this  banditti  collec 
tion  of  Indians  until  they  are  killed  up  in 
their  dens.  They  watch  from  the  high 
points  of  timber  our  movements  in  daylight, 
and  at  night  pass  through  the  prairies  from 
one  point  of  timber  to  another,  and  com 
municate  with  the  main  body,  which  are  in 
the  swamps  of  Rock  River."100 

The  condition  of  the  country  at  this  time 
was  deplorable.  Fields  were  half  plowed 
and  deserted;  houses  had  been  vacated; 
mechanics,  farmers,  smelters,  and  miners 
had  forsaken  their  places  of  business  and 
were  now  huddled  in  the  forts ;  cattle  were 
running  at  large ;  the  mails  had  stopped ;  and 
there  were  grave  rumors  of  a  possible 
famine.101 

When  Colonel  Dodge  reached  his  home  at 
Fort  Union  he  heard  of  the  murder  (on 


THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR  57 

June  14th)  of  four  men  near  Spafford's 
Ford,  in  what  is  now  the  southeastern  part 
of  La  Fayette  County,  Wisconsin.102  Early 
in  the  morning  of  the  16th  Dodge  hurried  to 
Fort  Hamilton,  where  a  force  was  to  be  col 
lected  to  pursue  the  murderers.  Upon  his 
arrival  at  the  fort  Colonel  Dodge  at  once 
ordered  his  men  to  saddle,  mount,  form  in 
line,  and  follow  the  trail. 

Here  began  a  two-mile  chase.  Forming  as 
large  a  front  as  possible  they  soon  found  the 
trail  in  the  open  ground.  Two  streams  had 
to  be  crossed,  whose  steep  banks  forced  the 
pursuers  to  dismount  for  a  minute  —  a  delay 
which  again  gave  the  Indians  a  start.  The 
volunteers  were  gaining  rapidly  and  the 
Indians  now  sought  refuge  in  a  horse-shoe 
shaped  bend  of  the  Pecatonica  River.  This 
was  a  low  swampy  bottom  surrounded  by  the 
steep  bank  of  the  river. 

No  description  can  excel  the  exciting  re 
port  of  the  battle  written  by  Colonel 
Dodge103  to  Brigadier  General  Atkinson: 
"  After  crossing  the  Pecotonica,  in  the  open 
ground,  I  dismounted  my  command,  linked 
my  horses,  and  left  four  men  in  charge  of 
them,  and  sent  four  men  in  different  direc 
tions  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  Indians, 


58  HENEY  DODGE 

if  they  should  attempt  to  swim  the  Pecato- 
nica ;  they  were  placed  on  high  points  that 
would  give  them  a  complete  view  of  the  ene 
my,  should  they  attempt  to  retreat.  I 
formed  my  men  on  foot  at  open  order,  and  at 
trailed  arms,  and  we  proceeded  through  the 
swamp  to  some  timber  and  undergrowth, 
where  I  expected  to  find  the  enemy.  When  I 
found  their  trail,  I  knew  they  were  close  at 
hand ;  they  had  got  close  to  the  edge  of  the 
lake,  where  the  bank  was  about  six  feet  high, 
which  was  a  complete  breastwork  for  them. 
They  commenced  the  fire,  when  three  of  my 
men  fell,  two  dangerously  wounded,  one  se 
verely  but  not  dangerously.  I  instantly  or 
dered  a  charge  on  them,  made  by  eighteen 
men,  which  was  promptly  obeyed ;  the  Indi 
ans  being  under  the  bank,  our  guns  were 
brought  within  ten  or  fifteen  feet  of  them 
before  we  could  fire  on  them.  Their  party 
consisted  of  thirteen  men ;  eleven  were  killed 
on  the  spot,  and  the  remaining  two  were 
killed  in  crossing  the  lake,  so  that  they  were 
left  without  one  to  carry  the  news  to  their 
friends.  The  volunteers  under  my  command 
behaved  with  great  gallantry;  it  would  be 
impossible  for  me  to  discriminate  among 
them;  at  the  word  *  charge'  the  men  rushed 


THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR  59 

forward  and  literally  shot  the  Indians  to 
pieces.  We  were,  Indians  and  whites  on  a 
piece  of  ground  not  to  exceed  sixty  feet 
square." 

This  sharp  but  bloody  engagement  fought 
on  June  16, 1832,  and  called  the  Battle  of  the 
Pecatonica  or  the  Battle  of  Horse  Shoe 
Bend,  was  the  first  decisive  victory  of  the 
war.  It  revived  some  confidence  in  the  army 
which  had  been  criticised  and  ridiculed  and 
brought  some  relief  to  the  frontier  settle 
ments.  ' '  This  little  action ' ',  wrote  Governor 
Thomas  Ford,  "will  equal  any  for  courage, 
brilliancy  and  success,  in  the  whole  history 
of  Indian  wars."104 

Thus  far  the  principal  theatre  of  war  had 
been  in  the  State  of  Illinois  and  Black  Hawk 
was  as  far  from  being  captured  as  ever. 
Weeks  and  weeks  had  been  wasted  in  fruit 
less  marches,  and  but  little  glory  had  come 
to  the  American  arms.  But  a  new  plan  of 
campaign  was  decided  upon  late  in  June; 
and  on  the  30th  Black  Hawk  and  his  follow 
ers  crossed  the  border  line  into  Michigan 
Territory  near  the  site  of  the  present  city  of 
Beloit,  Wisconsin.105 

After  the  Battle  of  the  Pecatonica  Colonel 
Dodge  had  spent  some  time  at  Galena,106 


60  HENRY  DODGE 

where  lie  looked  after  supplies  for  destitute 
families.  From  there  with  a  company  of 
volunteers  he  marched  to  Blue  Mounds  to 
bury  the  bodies  of  Lieutenant  George  Force 
and  Emerson  Green,  whom  the  Indians  had 
slain  on  the  20th  of  June.107  About  a  week 
later  his  forces  assembled  at  Fort  Hamil 
ton.108 

On  the  28th  of  June  the  whole  army  to  the 
number  of  about  four  thousand  men  set  out 
in  pursuit  of  Black  Hawk  and  his  fleeing 
braves.  Colonel  Dodge  and  Brigadier  Gen 
eral  Posey  formed  the  left  wing  of  the  army 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Rock  River ;  Alexan 
der 's  command,  also  on  the  west  side,  formed 
the  center;  while  the  brigades  of  Atkinson 
and  Henry  on  the  east  bank  formed  the  right 
wing.109  For  over  three  weeks  the  chase 
continued  in  long  and  weary  marches. 
Through  the  heat  and  rains  of  the  July 
month  it  led  across  rivers,  through  swamps 
and  tangled  forests  in  the  southern  portion 
of  the  present  State  of  Wisconsin. 

Atkinson  was  becoming  short  of  provi 
sions,  and  the  campaign  looked  dismal  in 
every  respect.  On  the  10th  of  July  the  com 
mands  under  Henry,  Alexander,  and  Dodge 
were  dispatched  to  Fort  Winnebago  about 


THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR  61 

eighty  miles  to  the  northwest.  Here  they 
were  to  secure  provisions  and  return  with  all 
possible  haste.  Their  orders  allowed  them 
to  follow  the  Indian  trail  in  case  they  should 
find  it.110 

Colonel  Dodge  was  the  first  to  reach  the 
fort  where  two  days  were  spent  in  getting 
provisions.  Hearing  that  Black  Hawk  was 
encamped  farther  up  the  Rock  River  the 
three  commanders  held  a  council,  and  it  was 
decided  that  Alexander  should  return  to 
Atkinson  while  Dodge  and  Henry  should 
march  against  the  enenw.  On  the  15th  the 
march  began  and  on  the  third  day  they 
reached  the  Hutisford  Rapids  in  Dodge 
County,  where  Black  Hawk  had  camped, 
only  to  discover  that  the  wily  enemy  had 
flown. 

Meanwhile  an  express111  had  been  sent  to 
Atkinson  which,  after  proceeding  a  fewT 
miles,  found  a  fresh  trail  and  immediately 
returned  and  reported  the  discovery.  At 
once  the  camp  was  aglow  with  excitement 
and  on  the  morning  of  the  20th  of  July  the 
chase  by  Henry  and  Dodge  began.  On  that 
day  a  large  body  of  Indians  was  discovered 
by  the  scouts,  and  for  thirty  miles  a  running 
fire  was  kept  up  during  the  whole  day.  Late 


62  HENRY  DODGE 

in  the  afternoon  the  immediate  commands 
under  Colonels  Henry  Dodge  and  L.  D. 
Ewing  overtook  the  Indians  at  the  bluffs  of 
the  Wisconsin  River. 

"A  line  of  battle  was  immediately 
formed,"  wrote  a  participant  the  next 
day,112  "and  the  Indians  repulsed.  About 
sunset  they  returned,  re-inforced,  and 
made  a  most  desperate  effort  to  break  our 
lines.  But  our  men  stood  firmly,  and  com 
pelled  the  enemy  to  retreat.  They  then  took 
possession  of  a  ravine,  where  the  grass  was 
so  high  as  to  conceal  them.  As  soon  as  their 
position  was  ascertained,  the  order  'charge' 
was  given,  and  executed  with  such  prompti 
tude  and  effect,  as  again  to  compel  them  to 
retire  from  their  strong  hold." 

The  battle  lasted  for  about  an  hour.  ' '  The 
heads  of  the  Indians  above  the  grass,"  con 
tinues  this  report,  "resembled  stumps  in  a 
newly  cleared  forest.  We  killed  three  In 
dians  in  the  pursuit,  and  we  suppose,  not 
less  than  forty  in  the  battle.  I  am  very  hap 
py  to  state  that  we  lost  but  one  killed,  and 
eight  wounded."  This  decisive  engagement 
is  known  as  the  Battle  of  Wisconsin  Heights. 

Weary  and  worn  from  the  long  chase,  the 
victors  waited  for  reinforcements.  The 


THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR  63 

Indians  had  crossed  the  Wisconsin  River 
and  had  disappeared;  but  the  pursuit  was 
continued.  The  trail  of  Black  Hawk's  band 
was  marked  by  the  bodies  of  braves  who  had 
died  of  wounds  or  of  disease.  On  July  31, 
1832,  the  freshness  of  the  trail  indicated  the 
immediate  presence  of  the  enemy.  On 
August  2nd  Black  Hawk's  band  of  braves 
was  found  near  the  mouth  of  the  Bad  Axe  on 
the  Mississippi  Eiver,  about  forty-five  miles 
above  Prairie  du  Chien. 

Brigadier  General  Atkinson,  whose  forces 
had  joined  in  the  main  pursuit  at  Blue 
Mounds  on  the  23rd,113  promptly  arranged 
the  order  of  battle.  The  regular  troops  un 
der  Colonel  Zachary  Taylor  and  Colonel 
Dodge's  troops  composed  the  front;  the 
Illinois  militia  under  Posey  and  Alexander 
formed  the  right;  while  Henry's  brigade  of 
about  four  hundred  men  composed  the  left. 
A  steep  bluff  was  descended  by  the  advance, 
and  the  battle  took  place  upon  a  grassy  and 
heavily  wooded  bottom. 

Here  were  collected  Black  Hawk's  men, 
women,  and  children  to  make  a  final  desper 
ate  stand  against  the  whites.  "Led  on  by 
Black  Hawk,  they  came  furiously  upon  the 
soldiers,  by  whom  they  were  met  with  a  most 


64  HENRY  DODGE 

destructive  fire,  driving  them  back  again; 
and  a  third  time  they  rallied,  bringing  into 
action  every  Indian  supplied  with  means  for 
offensive  operations ;  but  the  unerring  rifles 
of  the  volunteers,  and  the  volleys  from  the 
regulars,  soon  thinned  their  ranks,  and  they 
were  driven  back  again  in  disorder,  and  so 
disheartened  as  not  to  be  again  rallied."114 

For  three  hours  the  battle  raged  while  the 
Indians  were  driven  from  one  hiding  place 
to  another.  "The  whole  of  the  troops",  ran 
Atkinson's  report  of  the  next  day,  as  writ 
ten  by  Albert  Sidney  Johnston, ' l  participated 
in  the  honour  of  the  combat;  some  of  the 
corps  were,  however,  more  fortunate  than 
others,  in  being  thrown  from  their  position 
in  order  of  battle,  more  immediately  in  con 
flict  with  the  enemy.  These  were  Henry's 
brigade,  Dodge's  battalion,  the  regular 
troops,  Leach's  [Samuel  Leech]  regiment  of 
Posey's  brigade  and  the  Spy  battalion  of 
Alexander 's  brigade. '  '115 

Upwards  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  the 
Indians  were  slain,  while  the  whites  suffered 
a  loss  of  twenty-nine  killed  and  wounded. 
The  loss  to  Dodge's  battalion  was  six  wound 
ed  of  whom  three  died  of  their  injuries.  This 
bloody  encounter,  known  as  the  Battle  of 


THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR  65 

Bad  Axe,  terminated  the  war  and  led  to  the 
capture  of  Black  Hawk.116 

After  the  battle  Colonel  Dodge  with  his 
command  proceeded  to  Fort  Crawford  at 
Prairie  du  Chien  where  Atkinson  ran  out  to 
meet  him,  threw  his  arms  around  him,  and 
exclaimed:  "You  have  led  me  on  to  victory 
-  you  have  saved  me ! ' '  The  story  runs  that 
Old  Hickory  had  sent  warning  to  Atkinson 
that  "If  he  did  not  put  an  end  to  the  war  in 
a  few  days,  he  would  strike  his  name  from 
the  roll  of  the  United  States  Army."  117 

Thus  closed  the  last  of  the  Indian  wars  of 
Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  which  still  remains 
one  of  the  most  memorable  in  the  history  of 
the  West.  The  loss  of  life  to  the  Americans 
was  about  two  hundred  and  fifty ;  while  the 
cost  in  money  to  the  General  Government 
and  to  the  State  of  Illinois  was  nearly  two 
millions  of  dollars.118 

Then,  too,  the  Black  Hawk  War  hastened 
and  swelled  the  stream  of  migration  to  what 
is  now  northern  Illinois  and  southern  Wis 
consin.  Much  of  these  regions  had  up  to  this 
time  been  a  "Dark  Continent";  but  the 
troops  marching  through  these  wilds  wrote 
a  mass  of  letters,  reports,  and  news  items 
which  were  descriptive  of  the  scenery  and 


66  HENRY  DODGE 

the  natural  resources.  These  were  widely 
copied.  Dr.  Addison  Philleo  's  war  news  ap 
peared  first  in  his  paper,  The  Galenian,  and 
from  this  it  was  copied  broadcast  over  the 
State.119  In  its  advertising  features,  then, 
the  Black  Hawk  War  can  well  be  considered 
as  an  event  which  helped  to  blaze  the  way 
to  western  settlement. 

During  this  war  Colonel  Dodge's  com 
mand,  designated  "Iowa  County  Regiment, 
Michigan  Volunteers",  was  composed  of 
eighteen  different  companies  whose  terms  of 
service  ranged  variously  between  the  dates 
of  May  2nd  and  October  9,  1832.120  Colonel 
Dodge  contributed  perseverance,  courage, 
knowledge  of  Indian  character,  and  unflag 
ging  industry  to  the  war.  In  this  respect  he 
stands  in  marked  contrast  to  some  of  the 
politician-soldiers  who  tried  to  extract  from 
the  war  undeserved  glory  and  unearned 
fame  which  they  hoped  later  to  parade  upon 
the  hustings.  To  Colonel  Dodge  the  war  un 
questionably  brought  a  well-deserved  dis 
tinction,  besides  subsequent  military  and  of 
ficial  honors ;  and  to  the  people  of  Wisconsin 
the  record  of  his  services  will  ever  remain 
a  patriotic  memorial. 


VI 

MAJOK  OF  MOUNTED  RANGERS 

"FOR  the  defense  of  the  frontier",  reads  the 
congressional  act  of  June  15,  1832,  which 
created  the  battalion  of  Mounted  Rangers.121 
A  commission  bearing  the  bold  signature  of 
Andrew  Jackson  had,  on  June  22,  1832,  cre 
ated  Henry  Dodge  the  Major  of  this  force  of 
six  companies.  For  about  one  year  this 
battalion  ranged  the  frontier,  and  its  opera 
tions  furnish  another  chapter  to  the  military 
record  of  the  victor  of  the  battle  of  Horse 
Shoe  Bend. 

The  necessity  for  such  a  force  of  "Rough 
Riders"  had  been  strongly  urged  in  Con 
gress;  petitions  and  memorials  had  come 
from  the  frontier;  recent  distress  and 
bloodshed  from  Indian  outbreaks  were  still 
fresh  in  the  public  mind;  private  citizens 
had  left  their  business  and  their  families  to 
defend  their  homes ;  infantry  could  not  cope 
with  the  mounted  troops;  and  the  presence 
of  such  a  force  would  serve  as  a  preventive 

67 


68  HENRY  DODGE 

of  further  outbreaks.  Finally,  the  cost  of 
the  force  would  be  more  than  compensated 
for  when  Indian  dangers  and  hostilities 
would  be  prevented,  crops  saved,  and  the  ex 
penses  of  calling  out  the  militia  would  be 
unnecessary. 

The  " frontier"  then  comprised  a  vast 
area  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  The  military 
posts  were  few,  small,  and  too  widely  sepa 
rated  to  offer  protection  and  defense.  At  the 
Portage  in  Michigan  Territory  was  Fort 
Winnebago,  containing  a  garrison  of  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men  commanded  by 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Cutler.  Fort  Dearborn 
was  garrisoned  by  about  one  hundred  men 
under  Major  Whistler.  On  the  Upper  Mis 
sissippi  it  appears  that  Fort  Snelling  held 
a  garrison  of  one  hundred  and  forty-two; 
Fort  Crawford  had  a  force  of  one  hundred 
and  ninety-four  men  under  Zachary  Taylor ; 
and  about  sixty  troops  were  at  Fort  Arm 
strong.  In  the  far  southwest  Colonel  Ar- 
buckle  held  a  force  of  about  five  hundred 
men  at  Fort  Gibson  in  Arkansas  Territory ; 
and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  under 
Major  Blley  held  Fort  Leavenworth.122 

A  total  expense  of  $297,530.50  was  con 
sidered  necessary  to  maintain  this  force  of 


MAJOR  OF  MOUNTED  RANGERS    69 

about  six  hundred  and  sixty  Mounted 
Rangers  for  one  year.  Major  Dodge's  pay 
and  emoluments  were  to  be  $1456  per  an 
num  ;  each  Captain  was  to  receive  $1255  per 
annum ;  a  total  of  $219,000  was  estimated  for 
the  privates;  while  the  subsistence  for  one 
year  at  twelve  and  one-half  cents  per  ration 
for  the  non-commissioned  officers  and  pri 
vates  made  another  figure  of  $30,112.50.123 

Five  companies  were  immediately  organ 
ized,  but  the  organization  of  the  sixth  was 
delayed  until  later  in  the  summer.  A  Rang 
ers'  camp  was  established  a  few  miles  below 
Rock  Island,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Rock 
River.  The  cholera,  which  had  been  raging 
for  some  time  in  various  sections  of  the 
country,  suddenly  made  its  appearance  in 
the  Rangers'  camp.  On  August  28th  a 
Ranger  of  Captain  Lemuel  Ford's  company 
died  of  the  disease.  Like  many  of  the  sol 
diers  the  dead  Ranger  was  given  to  intoxi 
cation,  and  Major  General  Winfield  Scott 
sternly  denounced  intemperance  which  he 
declared  generated  and  spread  the  epidemic. 

" Every  soldier  or  Ranger,"  commanded 
Major  General  Scott,  "who  shall  be  found 
drunk  or  sensibly  intoxicated,  after  the  pub 
lication  of  this  order,  [shall]  be  compelled, 


70  HENRY  DODGE 

as  soon  as  his  strength  will  permit,  to  dig 
a  grave  at  a  suitable  burying  place,  large 
enough  for  his  own  reception,  as  such  grave 
cannot  fail  soon  to  be  wanted  for  the  drunk 
en  man  himself,  or  some  drunken  compan 
ion."124  Several  weeks  passed  before  the 
disease  passed  over.  Thirteen  unlucky 
Rangers  had  fallen  victims  to  the  plague  and 
without  coffins  lay  buried  on  the  banks  of 
Eock  Eiver.125 

On  September  3, 1832,  an  order  was  issued 
for  the  disposition  of  the  Rangers  on  the 
frontier.  The  companies  of  Captains  James 
D.  Henry,  Benjamin  V.  Beekes,  and  Jesse 
B.  Browne  were  assigned  to  the  northwest 
ern  frontier  between  the  Wabash,  Chicago, 
Fort  Winnebago,  and  the  mouth  of  the  Wis 
consin  River.  They  were  to  range  under  the 
immediate  instructions  of  Major  Dodge  and 
through  him  were  to  report  to  the  eastern 
division  of  the  military  department.  He 
was  further  instructed  to  go  to  such  places 
where  grain  could  be  procured  for  the 
Rangers'  horses. 

The  other  three  companies  were  to  serve 
under  the  western  division  of  the  army. 
Under  Major  Dodge's  instructions  the  com 
panies  of  Captains  Nathan  Boone  and  Lem- 


MAJOR  OF  MOUNTED  RANGERS    71 

uel  Ford  were  ordered  to  Fort  Gibson  on  the 
Arkansas  River,  to  range  on  the  southwest 
ern  frontier.  Captain  Jesse  Bean's  company 
had  already  received  orders  from  Washing 
ton  to  repair  to  Fort  Gibson.126 

Two  Indian  treaties  were  witnessed  by 
Major  Dodge  in  September,  1832.  The  first, 
held  on  the  present  site  of  Rock  Island  on 
the  15th,  was  made  by  General  Scott  and 
Governor  John  Reynolds.  Thirty-nine  In 
dians  and  twenty -nine  whites,  among  whom 
was  Major  Dodge,  signed  this  treaty  where 
by  the  Winnebago  nation  ceded  to  the 
United  States  the  land  lying  to  the  south  and 
east  of  the  Wisconsin  River  and  the  Fox 
River  of  Green  Bay.127 

Still  more  notable  was  the  treaty  signed 
six  days  later  on  the  present  site  of  Daven 
port.128  This  was  the  famous  "  Black  Hawk 
Purchase"  treaty.  Little  did  Major  Dodge 
realize  the  transcendent  importance  of  this 
treaty  when  he  signed  it  as  a  witness.  A 
strip  along  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi 
River,  containing  about  6,000,000  acres,  was 
to  be  opened  to  settlement  on  June  1,  1833. 
No  one  dreamed  that  in  four  years  this  area 
would  contain  an  enterprising  population 
demanding  civil  government  and  laws  which 


72  HENRY  DODGE 

Henry  Dodge  was  to  be  the  foremost  to  in 
augurate. 

Major  Dodge's  order  No.  9,  of  September 
23,  1832,129  instructed  Captain  Browne  to 
take  his  company  into  winter  quarters  near 
Danville,  Illinois.  Corn,  forage,  and  fuel 
were  to  be  secured;  but  private  rights  of 
citizens  were  not  to  be  invaded.  "  Gambling 
and  Drinking  to  intoxication  is  prohibited", 
reads  the  order.  "The  Capt.  commanding 
will  order  Court  Martials  for  the  trial  of 
those  found  intoxicated,  and  punish  them 
without  delay  as  well  as  to  prevent  Gambling 
in  his  Camp."  Monthly  reports  as  to  the 
strength,  condition,  the  arms,  the  ammuni 
tion,  and  the  provisions  of  the  company 
were  to  be  sent  by  Captain  Browne  to  Major 
Dodge  at  Mineral  Point  in  Michigan  Terri 
tory.  On  the  same  day  Major  Dodge  gave 
instructions  to  Captains  Boone  and  Ford  to 
go  by  the  nearest  practicable  route  to  Fort 
Gibson. 

Governor  John  Reynolds  in  October, 
1832,  informed  Major  Dodge  that  the 
Pottawattamie  Indians  had  assumed  an  im 
posing  and  threatening  attitude  on  the  Illi 
nois  frontier.  From  Vandalia,  Illinois, 
Major  Dodge  then  ordered  Captain  Browne 


MAJOR  OF  MOUNTED  RANGERS    73 

to  range  the  northern  frontier.  "You  will 
order  the  Pottawattamies  out  of  the  settle 
ments  of  the  whites  and  drive  them  out  of 
the  range  of  the  settlements,  if  they  refuse 
to  go.  ...  You  are  not  to  make  an  at 
tack  on  the  Pottawattamies  unless  they 
should  make  an  attack  on  the  Frontiers 
should  they  however  shed  a  Drop  of  white 
Blood  you  will  not  hesitate  to  kill  the  of 
fenders  their  aiders  and  abettors".130 

Winter  had  now  come  on  and  the  routine 
of  camp  duties  took  the  place  of  marches  on 
the  frontier.  Captain  Matthew  Duncan  had 
succeeded  Captain  Henry,  and  in  March  he 
was  ordered  to  escort  some  caravans  bound 
for  Santa  Fe  and  to  guard  them  against  the 
attacks  of  hostile  Indians.  This  left  but  two 
companies  upon  the  northwestern  fron 
tier.131 

Vague  rumors  of  threatened  attacks  by 
the  Pottawattamies  and  Winnebagoes  be 
gan  to  alarm  the  frontier  settlers  of  Illinois 
again  in  the  spring  of  1833.  Major  Dodge 
was  prompt  in  his  efforts  to  quiet  the  public 
mind,  and  on  April  3rd  he  sent  orders  to 
Captains  Browne  and  Beekes  to  march  to 
Hennepin  on  the  Illinois  River  and  to  hold 
themselves  in  readiness.132  "I  will  advise 


74  HENRY  DODGE 

the  people  of  the  mining  Country,  to  form 
themselves  into  mounted  Companies",  re 
ported  Dodge  from  Dixon's  Ferry  to  Brig 
adier  General  Atkinson.133  To  Major  Gen 
eral  Macomb  he  wrote:  "I  consider  it  im 
portant  to  the  future  growth  of  this  country 
that  the  Winnebagoes  should  be  forced  to 
leave  the  country  they  have  ceded  to  the  U. 
S.,  and  that  there  should  be  a  separation  of 
the  Winnebagoes  and  the  Pottawattamies. 
Such  is  the  dislike  of  the  people  of  the 
frontier  generally  of  these  two  nations, 
.  . .  .that  war  must  be  the  inevitable  result 
unless  they  are  all  removed."134 

While  directing  the  movements  of  the 
Rangers,  Major  Dodge  was  arranging  for  a 
meeting  with  the  Winnebago  chiefs.  The 
conference  was  held  on  the  29th  of  April, 
1833,  at  the  Four  Lakes.  White  Crow, 
Whirling  Thunder,  and  other  chiefs  were 
present,  and  Pierre  Pauquette  interpreted 
Dodge's  speech  to  them.  Nothing  definite 
seems  to  have  resulted  from  this  meeting, 
and  in  reporting  it  to  Atkinson  Dodge  de 
clared  that  "The  Winnebagoes  are  the  most 
difficult  Indians  to  understand  I  have  ever 
been  acquainted  with." 

Major  Dodge's  watchful  movements  had 


MAJOR  OF  MOUNTED  RANGERS    75 

gained  the  approval  of  Major  General  At 
kinson.  On  May  24, 1833,  he  was  ordered  to 
make  a  demand  upon  the  Winnebago  chief 
for  the  surrender  of  the  eight  Indian  prison 
ers  who  had  escaped  the  previous  fall.  They 
were  the  Indians  who  had  murdered  the  ill- 
fated  Felix  St.  Vrain  and  others  at  Kel 
logg  's  Grove  in  the  previous  June.135 

Pauquette,  the  interpreter,  and  John  H. 
Kinzie,  the  sub-agent  for  the  Winnebagoes, 
accompanied  Dodge  in  quest  of  the  prison 
ers.  Leaving  Dodgeville  on  June  9th, 
Major  Dodge  arrived  at  the  Rangers'  camp 
near  the  Four  Lakes  on  the  next  day.  Four 
days  later  he  reached  Fort  Winnebago, 
where  Kinzie  arrived  a  day  later  with 
$20,000  annuity  money  for  the  Winneba 
goes.  "I  waited  on  Mr.  Kinzie ",  reported 
Major  Dodge  to  Atkinson,  "and  sent  for  Mr. 
Pauquette  the  Interpreter  and  had  a  Con 
fidential  Conference  with  them  on  the  sub 
ject  of  the  removal  of  the  Winnebagoes 
....  as  well  as  the  necessity  of  a  prompt  de 
livery  of  the  Eight  Murderers  who  made 
their  escape  from  Fort  Winnebago  Last 
fall  and  that  a  refusal  on  the  part  of  the 
indians  to  remove  from  the  Ceded  Lands 
would  oblidge  me  to  march  with  the  Mounted 


76  HENRY  DODGE 

Eangers  to  drive  them  across  the  Wisconsin 
Eiver  and  that  it  might  be  necessary  for  me 
to  call  on  the  Government  for  aid  should  it 
become  necessary  to  do  so  the  chiefs  would 
be  in  Danger  of  being  taken  and  held  as 
Hostages  untill  the  murderers  were  de 
livered  up,  to  be  dealt  with  according  to  the 
Laws  of  the  Country".136 

A  stern  "talk"  was  soon  afterwards  de 
livered  to  the  Winnebago  chiefs  by  Major 
Dodge  who  reminded  them  of  the  ninth  ar 
ticle  of  the  treaty  made  at  Rock  Island  on 
September  15,  1832.  Under  this  stipulation 
they  had  agreed  to  deliver  up  the  eight  fugi 
tives  to  some  military  post.  "I  now  dis 
tinctly  give  you  to  understand",  the  chiefs 
were  warned,  "that  if  you  fail  to  adopt 
measures  for  the  Apprehension  of  the 
Fugitives  that  it  will  lead  to  a  Stoppage  of 
your  annuities  by  the  Goverment  and  that 
your  Chiefs  are  liable  [to]  arrest  and  de 
tention  untill  the  delivery  of  the  murder 


ers."137 


The  surrender  of  the  murderers,  assured 
Dodge,  would  be  viewed  by  the  President  as 
a  proof  of  friendly  disposition,  and  then 
"the  bright  Chain  of  Friendship  will  re 
main  entire  &  unbroken  between  us".  The 


MAJOR  OF  MOUNTED  RANGERS    77 

"talk"  then  concluded  with  this  dire  warn 
ing:  "Should  you  fail  to  deliver  these 
murderers  your  road  will  be  filled  with 
thorns  &  the  Sun  will  be  covered  with  a 
Dark  Cloud,  which  will  rest  over  your 
Nation  untill  the  Blood  of  the  Innocent  is 
Avenged". 

•  These  admonitions  bore  fruit  and  the 
eight  murderers  were  delivered  to  Sub- 
Agent  Kinzie  and  lodged  in  the  guard-house 
at  Port  Winnebago.  This  was  followed  by 
the  exodus  of  the  Winnebagoes  from  the 
Rock  River  country  across  the  Wisconsin 
River  to  the  north.  Lieutenant  Joshua  W. 
Fry  with  fifty  men  had  assisted  at  the 
removal  of  Whirling  Thunder  and  his 
braves  who  could  now  again  hunt  and  fish 
without  molestation  from  jealous  settlers 
and  the  watchful  companies  under  Major 
Dodge. 

The  terms  of  enlistment  of  many  of  the 
Rangers  were  expiring.  On  July  7,  1833, 
forty-two  men  of  Captain  Beekes's  com 
pany  presented  themselves  before  their 
Captain  and  demanded  their  discharge. 
They  insisted  that  their  term  expired  a  year 
from  the  time  of  their  enlistment  —  not  a 
year  from  the  date  on  which  they  were 


78  HENRY  DODGE 

mustered  in.  They  then  stacked  their  arms 
in  front  of  the  Captain's  tent,  mounted 
their  horses,  and  started  for  Indiana.  To 
Captain  Beekes  a  furlough  of  sixty  days 
was  granted  by  Major  Dodge.138 

To  Captain  Jesse  B.  Browne,  Major 
Dodge  gave  orders  to  discharge  the  Rangers 
whose  term  of  service  had  expired ;  the  pub 
lic  arms  and  property  of  the  two  companies 
were  to  be  delivered  to  I.  B.  Brant,  the 
Quartermaster  at  St.  Louis;  and  Captain 
Browne  was  then  to  repair  to  Danville  to 
await  further  orders.  Major  Dodge's  final 
order  is  dated  August  7,  1833.139  A  small 
detachment  under  Lieutenant  James  Cly- 
man  was  left  to  range  between  Dodgeville 
and  the  Four  Lakes  and  to  observe  the 
movements  of  the  Winnebagoes. 

Thus  ended  the  history  of  Major  Dodge's 
Mounted  Eangers.  No  battle  had  been 
fought  and  no  blood  had  been  shed ;  no  acts 
of  heroism  are  recorded ;  and  the  reports  of 
rifles  were  heard  only  on  the  drill  ground. 
But  the  battalion  of  Mounted  Rangers  cer 
tainly  insured  the  peace  of  the  northwestern 
frontiers  which  had  seen  and  felt  the  terror 
of  Indian  outbreaks.  Then,  too,  with  the 
moral  influence  of  a  movable  force  Major 


MAJOR  OF  MOUNTED  RANGERS    79 

Dodge  was  able  to  perform  the  duties  of 
adviser  and  friend  among  a  people  who  with 
each  generation  had  to  look  less  at  a  rising 
and  more  to  a  setting  sun. 


VII 

COLONEL  or  THE  FIRST  REGIMENT  OF 
DRAGOONS 

NEARLY  three  years  of  military  life  and 
exploration  in  the  far  West  now  lay  before 
Henry  Dodge  —  years  which  were  to  bring 
to  a  close  his  long  service  in  the  profession 
of  arms.  As  early  as  March  2,  1833,  Presi 
dent  Jackson  had  approved  an  act  "for  the 
more  perfect  defense  of  the  frontier"140 
whereby  was  created  the  first  regiment  of 
Dragoons  in  the  army  history  of  the  United 
States.  It  was  but  another  recognition  of 
Henry  Dodge's  military  services  when  two 
days  later  the  President  appointed  him 
Colonel  of  this  force  which  was  to  consist  of 
seven  hundred  and  forty-eight  officers  and 
men. 

As  early  as  the  previous  December  the 
proposition  of  the  Secretary  of  War  to  con 
vert  the  Mounted  Eangers  into  a  regiment 
of  Dragoons  had  been  urged  in  Congress: 
the  cost  would  be  less  than  for  the  Rangers 

80 


COLONEL  OF  DRAGOONS  81 

by  $153,932  a  year;  the  Dragoons  would  be 
equal  in  celerity  of  movement ;  their  service 
on  horse  and  on  foot  would  require  training 
in  the  use  of  both  the  rifle  and  the  sword; 
and  finally,  the  addition  of  such  a  force 
would  make  much  more  complete  the  mili 
tary  arm  of  the  government.141 

Jefferson  Barracks,  a  post  ten  miles  be 
low  St.  Louis,  was  selected  as  the  head 
quarters  for  the  regiment.  Early  in  Marchy 
1833,  orders  for  the  enlistment  of  the  corps 
were  issued,  and  Colonel  Dodge  divided  his 
time  between  commanding  the  Rangers  on 
the  Illinois  frontier  and  in  assisting  in  the 
organization  of  the  Dragoons.  During  the 
spring  and  summer  of  1833  his  military 
orders  were  generally  issued  over  the  title 
of  "Col.  U.  S.  Dragoons  Commanding  U.  S. 
Bangers'  \ 

"I  wish  the  Regiment  to  be  efficient  and 
useful  to  the  country",  wrote  Colonel  Dodge 
to  the  Adjutant  General.  "And  by  taking 
a  part  of  the  officers  from  the  Regular  Army 
who  understand  the  first  principles  of  their 
profession  and  uniting  them  with  the  Rang 
ing  officers  who  understand  the  woods  ser 
vice  would  promote  the  good  of  the  service 
The  sooner  the  determination  of  the  Hon 


82  HENRY  DODGE 

Secretary  of  War  on  this  subject  the  better 
for  the  good  of  the  service  permit  me  to 
Call  the  attention  of  the  Genl  in  Chief  to 
the  absolute  necessitty  of  ordering  the 
Cloathing  and  Arms  intended  for  the  use  of 
the  U.  S.  Dragoons  there  are  four  Com 
panies  at  this  post  and  Capt  Sumner  is 
Daily  expected  with  an  additional  Company 
The  recruits  are  all  here  much  in  want  of 
their  Cloathing  and  it  is  important  we 
should  have  our  arms  it  is  expected  that  the 
Dragoons  should  be  drilled  at  Target  Shoot 
ing,  as  well  as  to  fire  with  precision  on 
horseback."142 

Stephen  W.  Kearney,  the  Lieutenant 
Colonel  of  the  regiment,  was  appointed  to 
superintend  the  recruiting  of  the  regiment, 
with  the  order  "to  recruit  healthy,  respect 
able  men,  native  citizens,  not  under  twenty, 
nor  over  thirty-five  years  of  age,  whose  size, 
figure  and  early  pursuits  may  best  qualify 
them  for  mounted  soldiers." 143 

Ten  companies  of  seventy-one  men  each 
were  to  be  enlisted,  and  early  in  May  troops 
began  to  arrive  at  Jefferson  Barracks. 
Nearly  every  State  in  the  Union  was  repre 
sented  in  the  regiment.  The  last  company 
under  Captain  Edwin  V.  Sumner  arrived 


COLONEL  OF  DRAGOONS  83 

from  New  York  on  September  6,  1833. 
Among  the  regular  army  officers  were  Major 
Richard  B.  Mason,  Captain  David  Hunter, 
and  Lieutenant  Philip  St.  George  Cooke. 
Among  the  several  West  Point  graduates 
who  had  enlisted  was  Lieutenant  Jefferson 
Davis,  then  a  young  man  of  twenty-five. 
Five  of  the  Ranger  captains  had  reenlisted 
in  the  Dragoons  during  the  summer.  Com 
pany  E  under  Captain  David  Perkins 
had  been  recruited  from  the  young  men  of 
Newr  York  City. 

"Col.  Dodge ",  writes  a  Dragoon  of  Cap 
tain  Sumner's  company,  "is  in  command  of 
the  regiment,  a  man  about  say  fifty,  thick 
set,  somewhat  gray,  a  thorough  backwoods 
man,  very  fond  of  talking  over  his  own  ex 
ploits;  he  was,  I  believe,  a  militia  general, 
and  obtained  the  colonelcy  of  this  regiment 
on  account  of  his  late  exertions  during  the 
Black  Hawk  war  on  the  whole  a  clever  man, 
but  not  much  of  a  soldier."144 

A  fine  body  of  men  were  now  assembled; 
but  in  the  first  drill  not  a  few  looked  like 
recruits  from  the  regiment  of  Jack  Falstaff . 
Military  uniforms  had  not  yet  arrived,  and 
many  of  the  soldiers  with  but  one  suit  of 
clothes  presented  a  threadbare  appearance. 


84  HENRY  DODGE 

The  rawest  troops  furnished  a  ludicrous 
scene  for  the  men  who  had  already  been 
given  a  few  weeks'  maneuvers  on  the  drill 
ground.  The  " awkward  squad"  did  daily 
duty,  and  in  Captain  Sumner's  company 
Sergeant  Eoberts  was  the  only  man  who 
knew  how  to  put  his  left  foot  foremost.  A 
sufficient  number  of  arms  was  also  lacking, 
and  it  had  been  necessary  to  disinter  old 
muskets  that  had  lain  in  the  arsenal  since 
the  war  with  Great  Britain. 

The  barracks,  forming  a  hollow  square, 
were  built  of  hewn  stone  and  stood  on  a  high 
bluff  overlooking  the  Mississippi  River. 
Colonel  Dodge  and  the  other  officers  were 
quartered  in  two-story  structures,  while 
surrounding  the  drill  ground  were  the  one- 
story  buildings  for  the  soldiers.  Upon  the 
handsome  parade  ground  were  held  the  daily 
evolutions  during  the  fall  of  1833,  under  the 
directions  of  Major  Mason. 

But  murmurings  and  dissatisfaction  rose 
in  the  months  of  September  and  October. 
Barrack  rooms  were  without  bunks,  and 
even  the  kitchen  implements  had  been 
bought  with  soldiers'  money.  Arrogant 
treatment  from  the  officers  stirred  up  ad 
ditional  complaints.  Said  a  Dragoon:  "Op- 


COLONEL  OF  DRAGOONS  85 

pression  every  day  growing  more  and  more 
insupportable,  the  dragoons  began  openly 
to  murmur,  and  the  guard-house  was  kept 
continually  filled  to  overflowing.  Courts- 
martial  were  in  continual  session;  and  for 
the  most  trifling  neglect  of  duty,  men  were 
tried  and  sentenced  either  to  walk  the  tow- 
path  all  day  with  a  bag  of  shot  on  their 
shoulders,  or  to  confinement  in  the  guard 


room."145 


Desertions  were  almost  nightly  occur 
rences,  and  privates,  corporals,  and  ser 
geants  discharged  themselves  from  the 
hardships  and  restraints  of  the  barracks. 
In  one  case  a  recaptured  soldier  was  given 
fifty  lashes  on  his  back  with  a  cat-o'-nine 
tails  and  was  then  sentenced  to  serve  out  his 
term  of  enlistment  between  the  dreary  walls 
of  the  guard-house. 

Other  annoyances  presented  themselves. 
The  contracts  for  the  erection  of  the  stables 
had  not  been  fulfilled  and  so  the  troops 
were  put  upon  the  job.  Each  morning  after 
drill  a  squad  was  formed  and  armed  with 
saws,  hammers,  shovels,  and  pickaxes.  This 
kindled  new  dissatisfaction,  and  whisper 
ings  of  " speculation"  and  " profits"  passed 
current  among  the  soldiery.  Indeed,  a 


86  HENRY  DODGE 

Dragoon  records  that  "some  of  our  men 
have  signified  their  disrelish  of  the  work  by 
not  remaining  to  see  it  finished."14* 

Early  in  October  the  Dragoon  horses  ar 
rived —  a  collection  of  blacks,  greys, 
creams,  and  bays.  Week  after  week  they 
were  put  through  drills  and  evolutions  until 
they  became  quite  familiar  with  military 
usages.  On  November  9,  1833,  the  first 
battalion  parade  of  the  mounted  Dragoons 
was  held  about  a  hundred  rods  to  the  rear 
of  the  barracks.  Major  Mason  was  in  com 
mand,  and  on  Sunday  (the  next  day)  they 
were  reviewed  by  the  Inspector  General  who 
pronounced  men,  horses,  and  equipments  in 
excellent  order.147 

About  six  hundred  Dragoons  had  now 
been  enlisted,  and  for  months  they  had 
passed  through  the  routine  and  regulations 
of  military  life  at  the  barracks.  But  in 
November,  1833,  in  response  to  Colonel 
Dodge's  recommendation,  an  order  was  is 
sued  to  march  five  companies  to  Fort  Gib 
son.  Early  on  the  20th  of  November  the 
baggage-wagons  were  loaded  with  supplies, 
the  bugle  sounded,  the  companies  formed, 
and  Colonel  Dodge  for  the  first  time  as 
sumed  command  and  gave  the  orders  to 


COLONEL  OF  DRAGOONS  87 

march.  "The  prisoners/'  tells  the  historian 
of  this  march,  "  consisting  of  eighteen  men 
under  sentence  for  desertion,  and  other 
capital  offenses,  were  made  to  walk  hand 
cuffed  and  chained,  some  with  a  cannon  ball 
to  the  leg,  flanked  on  either  side  by  the  rear 
guard.  And  thus  commenced  the  Regiment 
of  Dragoons  their  first  march."148 

Not  more  than  three  or  four  miles  were 
made  in  the  first  day's  march.  In  the  next 
two  days  a  distance  of  forty-three  miles  was 
covered.  Mountains,  valleys,  forests,  and 
prairies  were  traversed  in  turn.149  Rivers 
and  creeks  were  forded.  On  the  twentieth 
day  Colonel  Dodge's  force  crossed  the 
boundary  line  between  the  State  of  Missouri 
and  Arkansas  Territory.  On  December  17, 
1833,  the  regiment  of  Dragoons  arrived  at 
Fort  Gibson  in  what  is  now  Muskogee 
County  in  Oklahoma. 

"On  my  arrival  at  this  place",  reported 
Colonel  Dodge  on  Christmas  day,  1833,  "I 
found  no  arrangements  had  been  previously 
made  for  furnishing  the  Dragoons  under 
my  command  with  Rations  or  Corn  for 
the  Horses  on  Consulting  Col  Arbuckle 
the  Commg  Officer  of  this  post  I  thought  it 
advisable  to  remain  in  the  immediate  vi- 


88  HENRY  DODGE 

cinity  of  this  post  Col  Arbuckle  has  made 
a  purchase  of  Eight  Thousand  Bushels  of 
Corn  the  cane  is  abundant  the  Dragoon 
Horses  are  in  good  order  They  will  be  well 
prepared  for  Service  early  in  the  Spring 
I  am  preparing  my  Quarters  for  the  winter 
which  will  be  Completed  in  a  few  days 
after  their  Completion  I  will  have  the 
Dragoons  Drilled  both  on  foot  &  Horseback 
and  feel  Confident  they  will  be  prepared  for 
any  Service  required  of  them  early  in  the 
Spring."150 

The  first  week  in  January,  1834,  was  bit 
terly  cold.  Under  a  temperature  of  twelve 
degrees  below  zero  six  inches  of  ice  froze  on 
the  Grand  River.  Navigation  was  stopped 
and  no  corn  was  delivered.  Colonel  Dodge 
was  finally  obliged  to  place  the  horses  in  the 
cane-brake  where  they  could  feed.  But 
there  a  stampede  occurred  and  the  animals 
scattered  in  various  sections  throughout  the 
country.  An  officer  and  a  party  of  men  were 
sent  after  the  strayed  animals,  and  it  was 
with  much  difficulty  that  they  were  finally 
recovered.151  Early  in  February  Captain 
Sumner  was  sent  to  Washington  County, 
Arkansas  Territory,  to  purchase  forage  and 
corn  for  the  Dragoon  horses.1 


152 


COLONEL  OF  DRAGOONS  89 

Camp  Jackson,  the  permanent  quarters 
for  the  regiment,  was  laid  out  in  a  little  strip 
of  woods  one  and  a  quarter  miles  west  of 
Fort  Gibson.  Barrack  rooms  of  oak 
shingles  were  constructed,  the  apertures  in 
the  roof  of  which  admitted  freely  both  sun 
and  rain.  Here  the  long  winter  evenings 
were  spent.  Between  retreat  and  tattoo 
sounds  of  revelry  and  glee  could  have  been 
heard.  Creeks,  Osages,  and  Cherokees 
would  sometimes  join  the  soldiers  in  dances 
to  the  tunes  of  two  or  three  cracked  fiddles, 
which  were  the  favorite  instruments  of  the 
Tennesseeans.  In  another  corner  might  be 
seen  a  card  party  seated  around  a  tallow 
candle.  Removed  from  the  groups  of 
amusement  another  Dragoon  might  have 
been  seen  reading  Robinson  Crusoe  or  the 
Life  of  General  Marion  from  the  regimental 
library.153 

Colonel  Dodge  was  now  expecting  orders 
to  proceed  with  the  regiment  through  the 
extensive  Indian  region  between  the  western 
boundaries  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas  and 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  On  February  15, 
1834,  he  presented  his  views  on  the  contem 
plated  expedition  to  Adjutant  General  R. 
Jones.154  Guides  and  interpreters  should  be 


90  HENRY  DODGE 

secured.  "Twenty  Osages  should  be  pro 
cured  to  accompany  the  expedition  as  Buf 
falo  Hunters  to  enable  me  to  subsist  my 
Command  until  the  Dragoons  Learn  to 
shoot  Buffaloes  There  are  few  men  in  this 
Command  who  ever  saw  a  Buffalo  and 
would  be  entirely  unable  to  subsist  them 
selves  By  Hunting". 

Fort  Leavenworth,  he  suggested,  should 
be  made  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment. 
"This  military  post  presents  many  ad 
vantages  [.]  Steam  Boats  could  Early  in 
the  Spring  transport  the  necessary  supplies 
to  this  place [.]  Forage  Can  be  procured 
cheap  on  the  Frontier  of  the  State  of  Mis 
souri  and  protection  would  be  afforded  the 
Frontier  inhabitants  of  this  State  and  this 
would  be  the  proper  point  to  furnish  the 
necessary  Escort  for  the  protection  of  our 
trade  to  the  Mexican  States". 

Colonel  Dodge  also  recommended  that  the 
Eegiment  of  Dragoons  be  divided  into  three 
parts.  Three  companies  with  the  reserve 
infantry  at  Fort  Gibson  would  be  sufficient 
for  the  protection  of  the  far  western  fron 
tier.  Two  other  divisions  could  be  located 
at  convenient  points  on  the  Mississippi 
Eiver  to  make  a  display  of  force,  to  prevent 


COLONEL  OF  DRAGOONS  91 

the  Indians  from  intruding  upon  the  whites, 
and  to  prevent  encroachments  of  the  settlers 
upon  Indian  lands  and  trade.  Further 
more,  such  a  force  would  aid  greatly  in 
maintaining  peace  between  the  powerful 
Sioux  and  Chippewas. 

Brigadier  General  Henry  Leavenworth, 
who  had  assumed  command  of  the  left  wing 
of  the  western  department  of  the  army,  ar 
rived  at  Camp  Jackson  in  the  spring  of 
1834.  Colonel  Dodge  was  ordered  to  send  an 
officer  to  learn  whether  or  not  a  company  of 
traders  going  from  Missouri  to  Santa  Fe 
needed  an  escort.  "Col.  Dodge  will  also 
make  an  estimate  of  every  thing  that  will  be 
required  by  his  corps  to  prepare  them  for 
their  contemplated  movement,  and  send  it 
to  the  office  of  the  acting  assistant  adjutant- 
general  of  this  command  as  soon  as  pos 
sible."155  The  duty  of  acting  as  an  escort 
fell  to  Captain  Clifton  Wharton's  company, 
which  left  Camp  Jackson  in  May  and  ac 
companied  the  traders  to  Santa  Fe.156 

To  maintain  peace,  quiet,  and  order  in  the 
army  was  not  the  least  of  the  tasks  of 
Colonel  Dodge.  "I  find  more  treachery  and 
deception  practiced  in  the  army  than  I  ever 
expected  to  find  with  a  Body  of  Men  who 


92  HENRY  DODGE 

Call  themselves  Gentlemen",  he  writes  to  a 
friend.  "My  Situation  is  unpleasant  [Jef 
ferson]  Davis  who  I  appointed  my  adjt  was 
among  the  first  to  take  a  stand  against  me 
Major  Mason  and  Davis  are  now  two  of  my 
most  inveterate  enemies  the  desire  of  these 
Gentlemen  appears  to  be  to  Harass  me  in 
Small  Matters  they  dont  want  to  fight  if 
Mason  would  say  fight  I  would  go  to  the  field 
with  him  with  Great  pleasure  and  indeed 
unless  Harmony  and  good  feeling  exists  in 
a  Corps  the  public  Service  cannot  be  pro 
moted  and  to  undertake  an  Expedition  with 
such  men  I  should  run  the  risk  of  Losing 
what  Little  reputation  I  have  acquired".157 
Meanwhile  the  companies  from  Jefferson 
Barracks  had  been  marching  to  Fort  Gib 
son  and  their  arrivals  at  Camp  Jackson  were 
hailed  with  welcome  and  joy.  Preparations 
for  the  summer  campaign  were  in  full  sway. 
"Our  camp  is  now,"  describes  the  Dragoon 
historian,  "throughout  the  day,  a  constant 
scene  of  bustle  and  noise,  the  blacksmith 
shops  are  kept  in  continual  operation, 
tailors  and  saddlers  find  constant  employ 
ment,  and  in  fact  no  one  has  time  to  be  idle ; 
one  half  the  regiment  are  daily  detailed  to 
watch  the  horses  whilst  grazing  upon  the 


COLONEL  OF  DRAGOONS  93 

prairies,  which  is  now  the  most  severe  duty 
to  be  performed,  standing  during  the  whole 
of  the  day  exposed  to  the  heat  of  a  broiling 
sun,  which  during  the  last  week  has  raised 
the  mercury  to  from  103°  to  107°  in  the  ther 
mometer.  ' ' 158 


VIII 

THE  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  PAWNEE  PICT 

VILLAGE159 

"FORWARD,,  march!"  Responding  to  this 
command  on  June  15,  1834,  nine  companies 
of  about  five  hundred  men  began  their  sum 
mer  campaign.  It  was  an  imposing  caval 
cade  :  the  tramp  of  the  horses  on  the  prairie 
mingled  with  the  commands  of  the  officers ; 
the  proud  and  manly  deportment  of  the 
young  men  indicated  the  buoyant  hope  and 
spirit  of  the  army;  a  company  of  white 
horses  made  a  striking  contrast  to  another 
one  of  blacks;  while  sorrels  and  bays  gave 
added  effects  of  color.  To  the  rear  of  the 
companies  might  have  been  seen  and  heard 
the  lumbering  movements  of  the  baggage- 
wagons. 

About  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  to  the 
west  of  Fort  Gibson  lay  the  Pawnee  Pict  and 
the  Camanche  villages  —  somewhere  on  the 
head-waters  of  the  Red  River.  These  were 
the  ultimate  destination  of  Colonel  Dodge 

94 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  PAWNEES        95 

and  the  Dragoons.  The  purpose  of  the  cam 
paign  was  to  cultivate  an  acquaintance  with 
the  Camanches  and  the  Pawnees  —  two  ex 
tensive  roaming  tribes  that  had  not  yet 
recognized  the  United  States  in  any  treaties. 
It  was  deemed  indispensable  to  the  peace 
and  security  of  the  far  western  frontier  to 
display  a  respectable  force  in  that  quarter. 
The  Dragoons,  it  was  believed,  would  im 
press  upon  the  tribes  the  power  of  the 
United  States  and  excite  a  deeper  respect 
for  the  government.160 

Four  bands  of  Indians  —  the  Senecas, 
Osages,  Cherokees,  and  Dela wares  —  joined 
the  expedition  to  serve  as  hunters,  guides, 
and  interpreters.  Two  young  girls,  a  Kiowa 
of  about  fifteen  years  and  a  Pawnee  of  about 
eighteen  years,  were  taken  with  the 
Dragoons  to  be  restored  to  their  tribes.  This 
policy  it  was  believed  would  pave  the  way 
for  friendly  intercourse.161  George  Catlin, 
the  famous  portrait  painter  of  Indians,  had 
been  given  permission  to  accompany  the  ex 
pedition  in  its  visit  to  the  wild  tribes  along 
the  Arkansas  and  the  Red  Rivers.  "I  start 
this  morning  with  the  dragoons  for  the 
Pawnee  country",  he  writes  on  June  19th, 
"but  God  only  knows  where  that  is. 


96  HENRY  DODGE 

Long  forced  marches  were  made  during 
the  warm,  sultry  June  days.  Springs  and 
streams  provided  a  bountiful  supply  of 
water  and  the  prairies  furnished  pasturage 
for  the  Dragoon  horses.  On  the  26th  of 
June  they  passed  a  band  of  five  hundred  or 
six  hundred  Osages  under  the  command  of 
66 Black  Dog'7,  a  famous  warrior  of  that 
nation.  On  the  next  day  a  herd  of  buffalo 
was  met  and  General  Leavenworth  and 
Colonel  Dodge  tested  the  mettle  and  speed 
of  their  horses.  Signs  of  the  Pawnees  be 
came  more  abundant.  On  July  1st  forty- 
five  men  and  three  officers  were  reported 
sick  from  the  excessive  heat,  and  each  day 
the  command  pushed  on  with  depleted 
ranks. 

On  July  4th  the  Dragoons  were  ferried 
across  the  Washita  River.  "Our  baggage", 
relates  a  Dragoon  of  Captain  Browne's 
company,  "we  transported  by  means  of  a 
raft  constructed  by  canoes  lashed  together 
and  covered  with  planks.  We  also  used  a 
canvass  Boat  covered  with  gum  Elastick  be 
longing  to  Col  Kearney  which  we  found  to 
answer  an  excellent  purpose  Having  en 
camped  on  the  opposite  side  with  our  whole 
force  &  concluding  it  best  to  travel  with  as 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  PAWNEES        97 

little  encumbrance  as  possible,  Col  Dodge 
selected  about  250  men  &  horses  most  able 
for  duty  &  taking  only  10  days  provisions 
for  20  days  sustinence,  set  forward  on  a 
forced  march."163 

About  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  had 
now  been  marched  by  the  Dragoons,  when 
early  in  July  a  reorganization  of  the  regi 
ment  became  necessary.  Six  companies  of 
forty-two  men  each  were  to  continue  the 
campaign  with  Colonel  Dodge  in  command. 
One  hundred  and  nine  were  left  for  duty  at 
Camp  Leavenworth,  together  with  eighty- 
six  sick.  Baggage-wagons  were  abandoned ; 
each  man  was  furnished  with  ten  days'  ra 
tions  and  eighty  rounds  of  cartridges;  and 
the  march  once  more  began. 

Day  after  day  through  the  month  of  July 
the  command  continued  its  march  over  the 
rolling  prairies.  Now  and  then  a  stray  band 
of  Indians  would  be  observed.  Wild  horses 
in  large  herds  passed;  and  enormous  herds 
of  buffalo  moved  across  the  plains.  Men 
and  beasts  were  prostrated  by  heat  and  the 
strenuous  campaign,  while  the  low  state  of 
the  provisions  brought  anxiety  to  Colonel 
Dodge.  On  July  14th  a  roving  band  of 
about  forty  Camanches  entered  the  camp  to 


98  HENRY  DODGE 

beg  tobacco  and  to  talk  with  the  Dragoon 
Colonel.  From  these  Indians  Colonel 
Dodge  learned  that  the  Camanches,  Kiowas, 
and  the  Pawnee  Picts  (or  Toyash)  were 
friends  and  to  some  degree  allies.  "The 
Camanches  are,  we  learn/'  runs  the  journal 
of  this  expedition,  "the  largest  band,  the 
proudest  and  boldest;  therefore  the  colonel 
has  resolved  to  visit  them  first ;  thence  to  the 
Toyash  village,  establish  friendly  under 
standings  with  one  or  both,  or  war  with  one 
or  both,  as  may  be ;  officers  and  men  on  the 
alert,  as  if  in  the  atmosphere  of  war."164 

Colonel  Dodge  now  pushed  on  and  soon 
arrived  at  a  Camanche  camp  of  about  two 
hundred  skin  lodges.  About  a  hundred 
mounted  Camanches,  seemingly  not  a  little 
alarmed,  came  to  welcome  the  Dragoons. 
Thousands  of  horses  were  grazing  about  the 
Indian  camp,  and  several  of  the  officers  pur 
chased  animals  for  a  blanket  or  a  butcher 
knife.  Colonel  Dodge  waited  for  the 
Camanche  chief,  then  absent  on  a  hunting 
trip;  but  after  more  than  a  day's  fruitless 
waiting  the  regiment  moved  on  in  the  di 
rection  of  the  Toyash  village.  An  Indian 
who  had  been  at  the  Toyash  camp  promised 
Colonel  Dodge  to  guide  him  thither. 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  PAWNEES        99 

By  July  19th  the  command  had  been  re 
duced  to  one  hundred  and  eighty-three  men. 
Seventy-five,  over  one-half  of  whom  were 
sick,  had  been  left  behind.  Desertions  had 
also  reduced  the  band.  For  a  month  the 
soldiers  had  been  without  a  morsel  of  bread, 
and  their  appetites  had  become  too  vora 
cious  to  distinguish  between  horse  flesh  and 
buffalo  meat.  The  mirage  of  a  waterfall 
glistening  in  the  sunlight  was  discovered  to 
be  a  mass  of  salt.  "No  buffalo",  records 
Lieutenant  Wheelock's  journal.  "Our  un 
shod  horses  suffered  very  much  to-day ;  wild 
horses  in  abundance,  and  bears ;  many  deer 
were  seen ;  a  few  were  killed ;  scanty  allow 
ance  of  provisions  for  our  men;  we  march 
too  fast  to  be  able  to  hunt  much  on  the 
road ;  game  is  now  divided  among  the  com 
mand  with  great  care;  marched  in  three 
columns;  baggage  reduced  to  three  pack 
horses  to  each  company." 

Across  reddish  granite  hills,  deep  ravines, 
and  difficult  passes  Colonel  Dodge  continued 
the  toilsome  and  intricate  route.  On  July 
20,  1834,  they  were  within  five  miles  of  the 
Toyash  village  situated  on  a  branch  of  the 
Red  River.  The  non-appearance  of  the 
band  convinced  the  Dragoons  that  the 


100  HENRY  DODGE 

Indians  had  either  fled  or  that  they  had  de 
termined  to  make  a  stand  and  fight.  Bay 
onets  were  fixed  and  every  preparation  for 
a  conflict  was  made.  On  the  next  day  the 
command  proceeded  a  mile  when  they  were 
met  by  about  sixty  Indians,  who  seemed 
greatly  alarmed  and  begged  Colonel  Dodge 
not  to  fire  upon  them.  After  several  miles 
of  marching  along  extensive  and  well  culti 
vated  fields  of  squashes,  pumpkins,  beans, 
melons,  and  corn,  the  Dragoons  reached  the 
village. 

Here  then  was  the  Toyash  or  Pawnee 
Pict  village,  the  main  goal  of  this  expedi 
tion,  and  the  object  which  had  been  the 
stimulus  during  five  long  weeks  of  marching. 
The  village,  consisting  of  about  two  hundred 
grass  lodges,  was  situated  in  a  rich  bottom 
embedded  in  the  immense  ledges  of  rocks 
and  mountains.  Colonel  Dodge  encamped 
in  a  fine  position  about  a  mile  from  the  vil 
lage,  and  the  hungry  Dragoons  were  soon 
enjoying  the  Indian  hospitalities.  Dishes 
of  corn  and  beans  dressed  with  buffalo  fat 
were  placed  before  them.  For  dessert  the 
soldiers  enjoyed  liberal  supplies  of  water 
melons  and  wild  plums;  while  the  savages 
gladly  exchanged  green  corn,  dried  horse 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  PAWNEES 


meat,  and  buffalo  meat  for  vermillion,  ar 
ticles  of  clothing,  knives,  and  tobacco.165 

According  to  the  previous  arrangements 
of  Colonel  Dodge  a  grand  council  was  held 
between  the  American  officers  and  the  chiefs 
and  warriors  of  the  Toyash  nation.  Bands  of 
Camanches  mounted  upon  their  fleet  horses 
had  arrived  ;  Pawnee  Picts  and  Wecos  were 
present  in  large  numbers;  while  the  tall, 
erect,  and  dignified  forms  of  the  Kiowas 
represented  the  higher  type  of  the  Indians. 
It  was  a  scene  that  well  stimulated  the  pen 
and  the  brush  of  George  Catlin. 

"We  are  the  first  American  officers  who 
have  ever  come  to  see  the  Pawnees",  began 
Dodge  at  the  first  council  on  July  22nd. 
"We  meet  you  as  friends,  not  as  enemies,  to 
make  peace  with  you,  to  shake  hands  with 
you.  The  great  American  captain  is  at  peace 
with  all  the  white  men  in  the  wrorld;  he 
wishes  to  be  at  peace  with  all  the  red  men  of 
the  world;  we  have  been  sent  here  to  view 
this  country,  and  to  invite  you  to  go  to  Wash 
ington,  where  the  great  American  chief  lives, 
to  make  a  treaty  with  him,  that  you  may 
learn  how  he  wishes  to  send  among  you 
traders,  who  will  bring  you  guns  and  blank 
ets,  and  everything  that  you  want." 


-HENRY  DODGE 

Colonel  Dodge  then  referred  to  the  mur 
der  of  Judge  Martin,  which  some  Indians 
had  committed  on  the  False  Washita  earlier 
in  the  summer.  The  Colonel  informed  them 
also  that  he  had  learned  from  the  Camanches 
that  the  little  son  of  Judge  Martin  was  being 
held  as  a  prisoner.  "Give  us  the  white  boy, 
and  we  will  give  you  the  Pawnee  girl  that 
we  have  brought  with  us."  Denials  from 
the  chiefs  and  repeated  demands  from 
Colonel  Dodge  were  then  followed  by  a 
gloomy  silence.  The  accidental  discharge  of 
a  pistol  came  like  a  thunderbolt  and  almost 
stirred  the  already  over-strained  feelings  in 
the  council  to  the  war  point. 

Finally  a  negro  offered  Colonel  Dodge  the 
information  that  the  Indians  were  now  hold 
ing  the  young  boy  as  a  prisoner  in  the  vil 
lage.  The  Colonel  then  became  still  more 
stern  and  persistent,  declaring  that  the  coun 
cil  would  stop  until  the  boy  was  surrendered. 
Further  consultation  followed  among  the 
Indians,  who  finally  sent  for  the  young 
prisoner  who  had  been  secreted  in  a  corn 
field  by  the  savages.  The  friend  of  George 
Catlin  has  given  a  graphic  description  of  the 
entrance  of  the  child  into  this  strange  coun 
cil. 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  PAWNEES      103 

"He  is  a  smart  and  very  intelligent  boy  of 
nine  years  of  age,  and  when  he  came  in,  he 
was  entirely  naked,  as  they  keep  their  own 
boys  at  that  age.  There  was  a  great  excite 
ment  in  the  council  when  the  little  fellow 
was  brought  in;  and  as  he  passed  amongst 
them,  he  looked  around  and  exclaimed,  with 
some  surprise,  'What!  are  there  white  men 
here?'  to  which  Colonel  Dodge  replied,  and 
asked  his  name ;  and  he  promptly  answered, 
'my  name  is  Matthew  Wright  Martin.'  He 
was  then  received  into  Colonel  Dodge's 
arms;  and  an  order  was  immediately  given 
for  the  Pawnee  and  Kiowa  girls  to  be 
brought  forward;  they  were  in  a  few  min 
utes  brought  into  the  council-house,  when 
they  were  at  once  recognized  by  their  friends 
and  relatives,  wrho  embraced  them  with  the 
most  extravagant  expressions  of  joy  and 
satisfaction.  The  heart  of  the  venerable  old 
chief  was  melted  at  this  evidence  of 
white  man's  friendship,  and  he  rose  upon 
his  feet,  and  taking  Colonel  Dodge  in  his 
arms,  and  placing  his  left  cheek  against  the 
left  cheek  of  the  Colonel,  held  him  for  some 
minutes  without  saying  a  word,  whilst  tears 
were  flowing  from  his  eyes.  He  then  em 
braced  each  officer  in  turn,  in  the  same  silent 


104  HENRY  DODGE 

and  affectionate  manner;  which  form  took 
half  an  hour  or  more,  before  it  was  com 
pleted."166 

Negotiations  with  the  Indians  now  be 
came  easier  and  Colonel  Dodge  explained  to 
them  that  the  great  American  President 
desired  to  make  a  treaty  with  them  all  and 
to  exchange  prisoners.  "  Peace  cannot  be 
made  with  all  the  tribes  till  a  large  white 
paper  be  written  and  signed  by  the  Presi 
dent  and  the  hands  of  the  chiefs.  Will  your 
chiefs  go  with  me  now  to  see  the  American 
President!"  They  were  also  assured  that 
the  President  would  be  very  happy  to  see 
them  and  would  make  them  presents  of 
handsome  guns,  coats,  etc.  But  objections 
and  murmurings  from  the  Indians  now  en 
sued,  and  Colonel  Dodge  concluded  to  close 
the  council  and  to  wait  for  the  morrow. 

We-ter-ra-shah-ro,  an  old  chief  of  seventy 
years,  with  two  other  principal  men  met 
Colonel  Dodge  at  his  tent  the  next  morning 
for  a  further  "talk".  The  four  leaders  of 
the  bands  that  had  accompanied  the 
Dragoons  from  Fort  Gibson  were  also  pres 
ent  and  participated  in  the  council.  Colonel 
Dodge  once  more  urged  that  a  few  of  the 
chiefs  accompany  him  back  to  Fort  Gibson : 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  PAWNEES      105 

it  was  a  plea  for  peace  from  a  man  who  had 
grown  gray  in  Indian  warfare.  Following 
further  deliberations  and  consultations  the 
old  Chief  We-ter-ra-shah-ro  was  the  first 
to  announce  some  willingness  to  go.  "We 
wish  much  to  make  peace",  he  said  "with 
the  Osages ;  we  have  been  long  at  war  with 
them ;  we  wish  to  see  the  lands  of  the  Creeks 
and  Cherokees  also,  to  shake  hands  with 
all."  Then  spoke  Dutch,  the  Cherokee,  a 
man  of  remarkable  personal  beauty,  dar 
ing  character,  and  reputation  for  his  suc 
cessful  enterprises  against  the  Osages.  He 
assured  Colonel  Dodge  that  the  Cherokees 
and  the  whites  were  friends  and  that  they 
could  visit  each  other  without  fear. 

Beatte,  the  leader  of  the  Osage  band,  then 
made  a  speech.  He  was  a  Frenchman  who 
had  spent  his  life  among  the  Osages  and  was 
widely  known  as  a  skilled  hunter.  i '  We  look 
at  our  friend  (Colonel  Dodge)  as  our 
father",  he  said.  "He  is  a  true  father  to 
us  all."  He  ended  by  urging  that  the  chiefs 
visit  the  Osages  with  "our  father  as  he 
wishes."  Monpisha,  another  Osage,  indorsed 
Beatte 's  speech,  declaring  that  the  Indians 
should  be  taught  to  build  homes  and  to  raise 
cattle.  "Your  buffalo  will  be  gone  in  a  few 


106  HENRY  DODGE 

years ' ',  he  warned.  '  '  Your  great  father,  the 
President,  will  give  you  cattle,  and  teach 
you  how  to  live  without  buffalo." 

George  Bullett,  the  Delaware,  then  gave 
assurance  of  the  friendship  of  his  people, 
after  which  Colonel  Dodge  resumed  his 
speech.  He  expressed  his  regret  that  some 
of  the  Dragoon  horses  had  broken  into  some 
of  the  cornfields,  and  he  promised  to  pay  for 
the  damage  done.  "I  wish  you  now  to  con 
sider  if  some  of  you  Avill  go  with  me",  he 
said  to  the  chiefs  on  their  departure.  The 
chiefs  then  signified  their  intention  of  going 
to  their  lodges  to  select  some  braves  who 
should  accompany  Colonel  Dodge  to  Fort 
Gibson. 

Many  Camanches  arrived  during  the  day 
and  visited  the  tent  of  Colonel  Dodge,  who 
then  repeated  his  "talk"  given  in  the  morn 
ing.  Ta-we-que-nah,  one  of  the  three  newly 
arrived  chiefs,  was  warm  in  his  professions 
of  friendship,  and  offered  to  exchange  a 
Spanish  girl  for  the  young  Kiowa  girl  whom 
the  Dragoons  had  brought  with  them.  But 
Colonel  Dodge  wished  to  secure  the  friend 
ship  of  the  Kiowas  and  said  to  the  chief:  "I 
mean  to  give  her  to  her  relations  and  friends 
without  price;  I  will  give  the  girl  to  her 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  PAWNEES       107 
tribe ;  they  shall  see  how  much  their  friends 


we  are/ 


But  here  occurred  a  dramatic  interrup 
tion.  Twenty  or  thirty  mounted  Kiowas 
dashed  into  the  camp  and  almost  into  Colonel 
Dodge 's  tent.  These  believed  that  the  whites 
were  in  league  with  the  hated  Osages  in 
holding  the  Kiowa  girl  as  a  prisoner.  They 
were  admirably  equipped  for  flight  or  fight, 
and  with  their  bows  strung  and  their  quivers 
filled  with  arrows  they  presented  a  bold  and 
warlike  appearance.  The  Dragoons  looked 
to  their  own  arms,  the  squaws  and  children 
fled  in  terror,  and  a  battle  seemed  in  pros 
pect.  Colonel  Dodge,  however,  quickly  re 
lieved  the  strain,  addressing  them  with  as 
surances  of  friendship  and  with  the  intima 
tion  that  the  Kiowa  girl  should  be  restored 
to  her  father  and  friends.  A  general  coun 
cil  between  the  Camanche,  Toyash,  and 
Kiowa  nations  was  to  be  held  the  next  day. 

Not  less  than  two  thousand  mounted  and 
armed  warriors  surrounded  the  council 
where  Colonel  Dodge  and  his  officers  once 
more  met  the  head  men  and  chiefs  of  the 
various  tribes.  The  Kiowas  embraced 
Colonel  Dodge,  and  savage  hearts  were 
moved  to  emotions  of  gratitude  over  the 


108  HENRY  DODGE 

restoration  of  their  relative.  The  squaws 
with  tearful  eyes  embraced  the  girl  seated 
among  the  chiefs,  at  the  same  time  shower 
ing  their  blessings  upon  her  deliverer. 

The  council  began  and  the  pipe  of  peace 
was  passed.  There  was  seated  a  group  of 
American  officers  in  their  bright  uniforms 
and  swords ;  the  savage  Toyash  looked  at  the 
arrogant  and  jealous  Camanche;  while  the 
more  chivalric  and  daring  Kiowa  made  the 
fourth  group  of  the  council.  Here  bonds  of 
friendship  were  pledged  and  promises  of 
peace  were  made.  Another  band  of  sixty 
Kiowas  now  arrived,  and  when  the  cere 
monies  of  their  reception  were  ended 
Colonel  Dodge  made  the  formal  surrender 
of  the  Kiowa  girl.  " Kiowa  chiefs!77,  he  said, 
"I  herewith  present  to  you  your  relation; 
receive  her  as  the  best  evidence  of  the  sin 
cere  friendship  of  the  Americans."  This 
closed  the  council  at  the  Pawnee  Pict  village. 

On  the  next  day  the  Dragoons  were  to 
begin  their  return  march;  and  early  in  the 
morning  the  chiefs  of  the  three  tribes  vis 
ited  Colonel  Dodge  who  presented  them 
with  guns  and  pistols.  Fifteen  Kiowas,  in 
cluding  their  chief,  one  Camanche,  three 
Pawnee  chiefs,  and  We-ter-ra-shah-ro,  the 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  PAWNEES      109 

old  Wacoah  chief,  had  finally  consented  to 
return  with  Colonel  Dodge  to  Fort  Gibson. 
Thus  on  July  25th,  was  begun  the  return 
march  from  the  Pawnee  Pict  village. 

Over  one  hundred  miles  were  marched  in 
the  first  week  of  the  return  journey.  "We 
are  eagerly  pursuing  our  way  home",  writes 
the  journalist  of  Company  I,  "with  our  In 
dian  Ambassadors  who  seem  remarkably 
jovial  &  delighted  with  everything  they 
see[.]  Nightly  they  amuse  us  with  their 
wild  unintelligible  &  unaccountable  songs 
which  are  far  from  being  displeasing  as 
they  all  join  in  seemingly  endeavoring  to 
exceed  each  other  in  noise,  altogether  cre 
ating  a  compound  of  the  most  unearthly 
discord".167 

The  overpowering  heat  and  the  number  of 
sick  greatly  retarded  the  speed  of  Colonel 
Dodge's  Dragoons.  By  July  29th  they  had 
reached  the  buffalo  range,  and  one  or  two 
deer  were  killed  and  one  man  killed  a 
panther.168  "At  twelve  o'clock  the  cry  of 
buffalo  was  heard,"  records  Lieutenant 
Wheelock  on  the  same  day,  "and  never  was 
the  cheering  sound  of  land  better  welcomed 
by  wearied  mariners,  than  this  by  our  hun 
gry  columns.  The  command  was  halted,  and 


110  HENRY  DODGE 

some  went  together;  the  report  of  Beatte's 
rifle,  and  the  fall  of  a  fat  cow;  halted  at  4 
o'clock;  killed  two  more  buffaloes." 

Dodge  finally  decided  to  return  at  once  to 
Fort  Gibson  instead  of  marching  to  Fort 
Leavenworth.  Now  and  then  a  day  of  rest 
would  be  ordered  for  the  jaded  horses ;  not 
unfrequently  men  were  lost  in  hunting  the 
buffalo;  prairie  fires  broke  out;  and  on 
August  5th  Dodge  was  informed  of  the  death 
of  General  Leavenworth  and  Lieutenant 
George  W.  McClure  on  the  Washita  River.169 
The  last  herd  of  buffalo  was  seen  on  that  day, 
and  "L",  the  chronicler  of  Company  I 
records  that  "we  were  called  upon  to  look 
our  last  look  upon  about  500  of  these  wel 
come  Prairie  Companions".170 

It  was  a  warm  and  weary  command  that 
thankfully  returned  to  Fort  Gibson  on 
August  15,  1834,  after  a  campaign  of  just 
two  months.  The  horses  presented  a  jaded 
appearance  and  not  more  than  ten  were  in 
good  condition;  many  of  the  soldiers'  uni 
forms  were  tattered  and  torn  and  showed 
evidences  of  strenuous  service.  On  August 
24th  Colonel  Kearney's  command  arrived, 
bringing  its  tired  Dragoons,  its  litters  of 
sick,  and  its  gaunt,  worn  horses.171 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  PAWNEES      HI 

Unable  to  get  the  chiefs  to  go  to  Wash 
ington,  Colonel  Dodge  arranged  for  another 
grand  council  at  Fort  Gibson  on  September 
1,  1834.  Seven  or  eight  tribes  assembled, 
and  for  four  days  the  fumes  of  the  peace 
making  calumet  drifted  about  the  council. 
Choctaws,  Cherokees,  Osages,  Kiowas,  Sene- 
cas,  Pawnees,  Camanches,  representing  ex 
treme  types  of  Indian  savages,  met  in 
friendly  conclave  under  the  protection  of 
Colonel  Dodge  who  believed  that  he  had  laid 
the  foundation  of  lasting  friendship  between 
these  frontier  tribes,172 

"Perhaps  their  never  has  been  in  America 
a  campaign  that  operated  More  Severely  on 
Men  &  Horses",  wrote  Colonel  Dodge  to 
George  W.  Jones.  "The  Excessive  Heat  of 
the  Sun  exceeded  any  thing  I  ever  experi 
enced  [.]  I  marched  from  Fort  Gibson  with 
500  Men  and  when  I  reached  the  Pawnee 
Pick  Village  I  had  not  more  than  190  Men 
fit  for  duty  they  were  all  left  behind  sick 
or  were  attending  on  the  Sick  the  Heat  of 
the  Weather  operated  Severely  on  the 
Dragoon  Horses  there  was  at  least  100 
Horses  that  was  Killed  or  Broke  down  by 
the  excessive  Heat  of  the  Weather  the  Men 
were  taken  with  fever  and  I  was  obledged  to 


112  HENRY  DODGE 

Carry  Some  of  my  Men  in  Litters  for  Sev 
eral  Hundred  Miles".173 

Thus  a  number  of  great  Indian  tribes 
were  brought  into  a  general  peace  and  into 
an  acquaintance  with  and  respect  for  the 
United  States  government.174  Besides  the 
cost  in  money,  much  sickness  and  hardship 
had  been  endured  and  more  than  one  hun 
dred  Dragoons  had  lost  their  lives.  Warm 
praise  was  extended  to  Colonel  Dodge  by 
Lewis  Cass,  the  Secretary  of  War;175  and 
George  Catlin  was  well  qualified  to  praise 
when  he  said:  "Thus  was  dragged  through 
and  completed  this  most  disastrous  cam 
paign;  and  to  Colonel  Dodge  and  Colonel 
Kearney,  who  so  indefatigably  led  and  en 
couraged  their  men  through  it,  too  much 
praise  cannot  be  awarded."176 


IX 


THE  MARCH  OF  THE  DRAGOONS  TO  THE 
ROCKY  MOUNTAINS  17T 

COLONEL  Dodge's  eleventh  and  last  mount 
ed  expedition  was  a  sixteen  hundred  mile 
march  through  the  western  frontiers  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains  in  the  summer  of  1835. 
The  line  of  march  lay  along  the  Platte  and 
the  Arkansas  rivers  and  over  the  old  Santa 
Pe  trail  in  the  region  which  is  now  embraced 
by  the  States  of  Nebraska,  Colorado,  and 
Kansas.  Besides  its  exploring  features,  the 
expedition  held  various  " talks"  and  coun 
cils  with  numerous  bands  and  tribes  of  In 
dians  inhabiting  these  regions. 

Agreeably  to  an  order  of  March  9,  1835, 
the  detachment  of  Dragoons  under  Colonel 
Dodge  left  Fort  Leavenworth  on  the  29th 
of  the  next  May.  Company  A  with  forty 
men  was  commanded  by  Captain  Lan.  P. 
Lupton;  Company  C  of  forty  men  was  in 
charge  of  Captain  Matthew  Duncan;  while 
the  thirty-seven  men  of  Company  Gr  were 

8  113 


114  HENRY  DODGE 

led  by  Captain  Lemuel  Ford.  Lieutenant 
Enoch  Steen  was  in  command  of  two  swivels. 
Lieutenant  G.  P.  Kingsbury  was  the  jour 
nalist  of  the  expedition;  while  Major 
Dougherty,  Indian  Agent,  and  Captain 
Gantt,  an  Indian  trader,  accompanied  the 
force  as  interpreters  and  guides.  The  three 
companies  were  directed  to  take  sixty  days' 
rations  of  flour  and  ten  days'  rations  of 
pork;  while  twenty-five  beeves  and  two 
wagon-loads  of  flour  were  to  be  taken  by  the 
assistant  commissary  of  subsistence. 

One  hundred  miles  were  traversed  in  a 
northwesterly  direction  the  first  week.  The 
line  of  march  lay  across  the  reservation  of 
the  Kickapoos  and  then  across  the  Nemaha 
River  in  what  is  now  the  State  of  Nebras 
ka.178  Continuing,  Colonel  Dodge's  com 
mand  entered  the  lands  of  the  half-breed 
Otoes  and  Omahas.  On  the  7th  of  June  a 
large  herd  of  elk  were  seen,  but  the  hunters 
were  not  able  to  approach  near  enough  to 
shoot  them.  The  country  was  a  beautiful 
and  fertile  plain,  diversified  with  all  the  ac 
cidents  of  wood,  creeks,  and  ravines. 

Two  days  later  the  command  reached  the 
valley  of  the  Platte  River  and  encamped  on 
its  banks  only  seven  or  eight  miles  from  the 


MARCH  TO  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS  115 

Oto  village.  Jutan,  the  principal  chief  of 
this  tribe,  who  came  to  meet  the  Dragoons, 
had  been  a  bold  and  successful  warrior.  He 
is  described  by  Lieutenant  Kingsbury  as  a 
man  "about  fifty  years  of  age,  tall,  well 
made,  with  a  fine  and  intelligent  cast  of 
countenance."  On  the  next  day  the  village 
of  the  Otoes  was  reached  and  the  Dragoons 
were  given  a  joyous  welcome.179 

Colonel  Dodge  (on  June  llth)  met  the  as 
sembled  chiefs  and  warriors  at  the  lodge 
of  Jutan,  where  a  council  wTas  held.  The 
Colonel  informed  the  Indians  that  the  Presi 
dent  of  the  United  States,  "your  great 
father"  wished  them  to  be  at  peace  and  to 
raise  corn  and  cattle  for  the  support  of  their 
families.  Deploring  the  sale  of  whiskey  to 
the  Otoes,  he  said:  "All  unlicensed  traders 
found  in  your  country  will  be  taken  and  de 
livered  to  the  civil  authorities,  to  be  dealt 
with  according  to  the  laws  of  the  country." 
After  a  brief  reply  by  Jutan  presents  of 
blankets,  strouding,  knives,  and  tobacco 
were  distributed  among  the  warriors  and 
chiefs. 

A  week  was  spent  here  awaiting  the  ar 
rival  of  a  band  of  Omahas,  with  whom  also 
Colonel  Dodge  wished  to  hold  a  council. 


116  HENRY  DODGE 

These  Indians,  numbering  about  eighteen 
hundred,  occupied  the  region  between  the 
Missouri  and  the  Platte  rivers.  On  the  17th 
of  June  about  fifty  of  the  principal  chiefs 
and  warriors  swam  the  Platte  River  and 
arrived  near  the  camp  of  the  Dragoons. 
Colonel  Dodge  extended  a  welcome  and  then 
caused  some  provisions  to  be  issued  to  them. 

When  the  Indians  were  assembled  Colonel 
Dodge  repeated  the  "talk"  which  he  had 
made  to  the  Otoes  a  few  days  before.  Big 
Elk,  the  principal  chief  of  the  Omahas,  re 
plied  in  a  friendly  vein,  but  declared  that 
the  presents  spread  before  them  had  been 
the  cause  of  creating  a  great  deal  of  evil  in 
the  Indian  country.  He  was  a  man  of  sixty 
years,  of  sound  practical  common  sense,  and 
with  a  knowledge  which  convinced  him  that 
the  Indians  needed  to  learn  some  of  the  arts 
of  civilization. 

The  Pawnee  village,  in  what  is  now  Ham 
ilton  County,  Nebraska,  was  the  next  objec 
tive  point.  For  eighty  miles  the  march  con 
tinued  up  the  Platte  Elver  over  a  rich, 
alluvial,  treeless  plain  which  appeared  to 
be  the  old  bed  of  a  river.  Herds  of  antelope 
and  deer  varied  the  monotony  of  the  scene. 
It  was  ten  or  fifteen  miles  from  the  village 


MARCH  TO  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS  117 

that  Angry  Man,  the  principal  chief  of  the 
Grand  Pawnees,  met  the  Dragoons.  He  at 
once  tried  to  ingratiate  himself  into  the  good 
graces  of  Colonel  Dodge  with  whom  he  had 
a  long  talk. 

Arriving  at  the  Grand  Pawnee  village  on 
the  21st  of  June,  1835,  the  Dragoons  were 
met  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred 
Indians  mounted  on  their  best  horses  and 
dressed  in  their  gayest  costumes.  The  Paw 
nees,  having  formed  an  extended  line,  ad 
vanced  with  full  speed  and  galloped  around 
the  detachment  two  or  three  times.  The 
chiefs  then  advanced  to  Colonel  Dodge,  and 
the  pipe  of  peace  was  passed  around  and 
smoked.  Angry  Man  then  invited  Colonel 
Dodge,  with  a  number  of  the  Dragoons,  to  a 
feast  in  his  lodge.  There  they  were  seated 
around  the  fire,  and  in  strict  accordance  with 
Indian  etiquette  Colonel  Dodge  was  given 
the  highest  seat.  After  a  meal  of  boiled  corn 
was  eaten  the  Dragoons  made  a  brief  march 
and  encamped  on  the  bank  of  the  Platte. 

The  Pawnees  at  this  time  were  divided 
into  four  tribes  which  lived  in  separate  vil 
lages  and  had  different  chiefs.  Angry  Man 
was  the  chief  of  the  Grand  Pawnees.  The 
chief  of  the  Pawnee  Republics  was  called 


118  HENRY  DODGE 

Blue-coat;  the  chief  of  the  Pawnee  Loups 
was  Axe ;  while  the  head  of  the  Pawnee  Tap- 
peiges  was  Little  Chief.  For  years  these 
tribes  had  been  waging  an  intermittent  war 
with  the  Sioux  and  had  often  returned  with 
scalps  and  large  numbers  of  horses.  They 
occupied  a  rich  and  productive  soil,  well 
adapted  to  the  raising  of  grain  and  to  graz 
ing.  The  buffalo,  of  which  they  killed  large 
numbers,  furnished  their  principal  means 
of  subsistence.  "They  are  already  im 
pressed  with  a  high  opinion  of  the  power  of 
the  United  States,"  writes  the  Dragoon 
journalist,  "and  it  will  not  be  difficult  for 
the  government  in  a  short  time  to  exert  a 
controlling  influence  over  them." 

Colonel  Dodge  now  declared  his  intention 
of  holding  a  council  with  the  different 
Pawnee  tribes,  and  runners  were  at  once 
dispatched  to  inform  the  other  villages  of 
his  arrival.  Repairing  with  most  of  the 
Dragoon  officers  to  the  lodge  of  Angry  Man, 
Colonel  Dodge  addressed  the  assembled 
chiefs  and  warriors.  He  would  be  glad  to 
make  peace  between  them  and  their  old 
enemies,  the  Arapahos  and  the  Cheyennes. 
The  destructive  effects  of  wars  were  pointed 
out,  and  it  was  urged  that  they  devote  them- 


MARCH  TO  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS  119 

selves  to  the  cultivation  of  corn.  "Could 
you  also  learn  to  raise  cattle, ' '  he  suggested, 
"you  would  be  able  to  support  yourselves 
and  families  without  depending  upon  the 
uncertainty  of  the  chase." 

To  this  advice  highly  rhetorical  but  rather 
friendly  speeches  wrere  made  in  turn  by  the 
four  Pawnee  chiefs.  "I  thank  you  for 
treating  these  people  so  well",  declared 
Angry  Man.  "You  could  not  have  been 
blamed  if  you  had  been  more  severe. ' '  When 
the  council  broke  up  presents  were  dis 
tributed  by  Major  Dougherty,  and  the  In 
dians  appeared  well  pleased  in  obtaining  new 
blankets,  strouding,  knives,  and  tobacco. 
They  even  informed  Colonel  Dodge  that 
they  would  send  one  of  their  principal  men 
with  him  to  assist  him  in  making  peace  with 
the  Cheyennes  and  the  Arapahos. 

One  hundred  and  twelve  miles  were 
covered  in  the  next  week.  Marching  up  the 
Platte  River  along  the  south  bank,  the 
Dragoons  passed  the  head  of  Grand  Island 
on  June  29,  1835.  TWTO  days  later  Captain 
Gantt  set  out  to  collect  the  Arickaras  who 
were  supposed  to  be  near  the  forks  of  the 
Platte  Eiver.  On  the  evening  of  July  4th 
the  Dragoons  saw  their  first  herd  of  buffalo. 


120  HENRY  DODGE 

On  the  next  day  Captain  Gantt  returned 
bringing  the  chiefs  and  principal  warriors 
of  the  Arickaras.  "The  Arickaras",  writes 
Lieutenant  Kingsbury,  "are  considered  the 
wildest  and  most  savage  tribe  of  Indians 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  have  always 
been  characterized  by  a  want  of  faith  in 
their  promises,  and  an  inveterate  hostility  to 
the  whites,  killing  all  they  could  meet.  They 
are  at  war  with  most  of  the  surrounding 
nations,  and  large  numbers  of  them  are 
killed  every  year.  They  formerly  lived  on 
the  Missouri  River,  but  were  driven  from 
this  country  by  the  Sioux,  with  whom  they 
had  long  been  at  war.  .  .  .  There  are  now 
about  two  thousand  two  hundred  of  them 
in  all,  numbers  of  them  having  lately  been 
killed  by  their  numerous  enemies." 

Colonel  Dodge's  speech  to  the  assembled 
Arickaras  was  full  of  advice  and  warning. 
The  evil  effects  of  inter-tribal  wars  were 
again  pointed  out;  the  stealing  of  horses 
was  denounced;  and  they  were  reminded 
that  several  charges  of  murder  were  held 
against  them.  The  friendly  nature  and  pur 
pose  of  the  Dragoons'  expedition  was  then 
explained  and  the  Colonel  delivered  the 
greetings  and  the  presents  from  the  Presi- 


MARCH  TO  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS  121 

dent  of  the  United  States.  "He  is  mild  in 
peace",  warned  the  Dragoon  Colonel,  "but 
terrible  in  war.  .  .  .  You  see  but  few 
mounted  men  with  me ;  it  was  not  the  wish  of 
your  great  father  to  alarm  you  and  other 
remote  nations  of  Indians  with  the  appear 
ance  of  a  large  army  which  he  could  have 
sent  here  with  as  much  ease  as  the  few  war 
riors  you  see  with  me.  The  cannon  you  see 
are  small  in  comparison  with  the  large  guns 
that  could  be  sent  to  this  country." 

The  chiefs  replied  briefly  to  this  advice, 
and  after  extolling  their  past  conduct  ex 
pressed  much  friendship  for  the  whites. 
One  of  the  chiefs  gave  a  hunting-shirt  finely 
ornamented  with  beads  to  Colonel  Dodge 
who  then  distributed  the  usual  presents 
among  the  Indians.  On  July  6,  1835,  the 
council  dispersed  with  many  expressions  of 
thanks  and  gratitude  from  the  Arickaras. 

Steady  marching  occupied  the  Dragoons 
for  the  next  two  weeks,  during  which  they 
covered  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  up 
the  south  fork  of  the  Platte  River  along  its 
southern  bank.  "The  elements  of  the 
scene",  writes  the  Dragoon  journalist, 
"now  were  an  unbounded  prairie,  a  broad 
river,  with  innumerable  herds  of  buffalo 


122  HENRY  DODGE 

grazing  upon  its  banks,  and  occasionally  a 
solitary  tree  standing  in  bold  relief  against 
a  clear  blue  sky."  On  July  15th  the  soldiers 
enjoyed  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  which,  being  the  end  of  the 
march  and  the  goal  of  their  hopes,  were 
hailed  with  joy  by  the  whole  command. 

Leaving  the  south  fork  of  the  Platte, 
whose  banks  the  Dragoons  had  hugged  for 
many  hundreds  of  miles,  the  command  for 
the  remainder  of  the  month  of  July  changed 
its  course  to  a  southerly  direction.180  Im 
mense  herds  of  buffalo  were  seen ;  timber  be 
came  more  abundant ;  several  kinds  of  wild 
fruit  were  found ;  and  deer  were  numerous. 
On  the  26th  of  July  they  crossed  the  divid 
ing  ridge  between  the  waters  of  the  Platte 
and  the  Arkansas.  "The  mountains  were  in 
the  form  of  an  immense  fortification  with 
turrets  and  rock-crowned  battlements,  and 
pine  trees  along  the  covered  line  relieved 
against  a  clear  blue  sky.  The  different 
passes  between  the  mountains  appeared  to  be 
guarded  by  large  terraced  watch-towers." 

On  July  30th  Colonel  Dodge's  detach 
ment  camped  upon  the  banks  of  the  Arkan 
sas  River.  There  he  learned  that  fifty  lodges 
of  Arapahos  were  encamped  on  the  oppo- 


MARCH  TO  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS  123 

site  side  of  the  river  and  that  the  remainder 
of  the  nation  with  a  large  number  of  Chey- 
ennes  were  hunting  buffalo  only  about  two 
days'  ride  distant.  Two  days  later  Captain 
Gantt  left  the  command  for  the  purpose  of 
collecting  these  bands  together. 

Sixty  miles  of  marching  up  the  Arkansas 
River  brought  the  Dragoons  to  the  fort  of 
Bent  and  St.  Train  on  the  6th  of  August, 
1835.  Here  Messrs.  Bent  and  St.  Vrain  car 
ried  on  an  extensive  trade  with  the  Indians 
in  buffalo  robes,  knives,  blankets,  and  to 
bacco.  Two  villages  of  Cheyennes  were 
found  near  this  fort.  These  Indians  were 
very  fond  of  whiskey  and  would  sell  their 
last  possession  to  get  a  drink  of  it.  "In  ar 
ranging  the  good  things  of  this  world  in 
order  of  rank,"  writes  Lieutenant  Kings- 
bury,  "they  say  that  whiskey  should  stand 
first,  then  tobacco,  third  guns,  fourth  horses, 
and  fifth  women." 

Captain  Gantt  on  August  10th  returned  to 
camp  bringing  a  number  of  Arapahos,  a  few 
Gros  Ventres  and  two  or  three  Blackfeet. 
On  the  next  day  Colonel  Dodge  held  a  coun 
cil  with  a  number  of  chiefs,  warriors,  and 
principal  men  who  represented  these  tribes. 
The  views  and  wishes  of  the  government 


124  HENRY  DODGE 

were  then  fully  explained  and  once  more  the 
Dragoon  Colonel  advised  the  Indians  to 
smoke  the  pipe  of  peace,  to  observe  treaties, 
and  to  stop  their  warfare  against  the  whites. 

With  the  assistance  of  Colonel  Dodge 
three  chiefs  were  now  selected  for  the  three 
bands  of  Cheyennes  present  at  the  council. 
The  Colonel  then  put  around  the  neck  of 
each  of  the  chiefs  a  medal,  which  he  assured 
the  Cheyennes  was  the  symbol  of  their  new 
offices.  Presents  were  next  distributed  ac 
cording  to  the  number  of  Indians  in  each 
nation;  and  then  the  council  adjourned  with 
many  expressions  of  gratitude  and  good  will 
for  the  Dragoons  and  their  commander.181 

Two  days  after  this  council  the  line  of 
march  was  continued  up  the  Arkansas 
River.  On  August  14, 1835,  Colonel  Dodge's 
force  arrived  at  a  Cheyenne  village  of  about 
sixty  skin  lodges  and  held  a  council.  The 
next  morning  the  whole  command  was 
aroused  by  sharp  firing  about  half  a  mile 
distant.  "  Supposing  this  firing  to  be  an  at 
tack  on  the  Cheyenne  Indians ",  wrote  Col 
onel  Dodge,  "and  that  this  band  might  ask 
protection  from  me,  I  instantly  formed  the 
Dragoons  in  order  of  battle,  until  I  could  be 
informed  as  to  the  cause  of  the  firing." 


MARCH  TO  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS  125 

In  a  brief  time,  however,  a  band  of  about 
one  hundred  Pawnees  and  Arickaras  ar 
rived,  explaining  that  they  had  fired  their 
guns  in  order  to  prove  their  friendly  dispo 
sition  by  approaching  with  empty  guns.  A 
council  was  then  called  and  Colonel  Dodge, 
the  mutual  friend  of  all  three  tribes,  induced 
them  to  forget  old  scores  and  to  become 
friends.  The  Pawnees  and  the  Arickaras 
received  more  than  a  hundred  horses  as 
presents  from  the  Cheyennes,  who  in  turn 
were  given  fifty  guns.  "You  will  be  con 
vinced7',  ran  the  Colonel's  parting  advice, 
"that  your  true  interest  is  to  hold  each  other 
strong  by  the  hand  as  brothers  and  friends, 
and  never  again  to  stain  your  hands  by  the 
blood  of  each  other." 

Although  unfamiliar  with  the  art  of 
speech-making,  the  Cheyennes  expressed  a 
wish  that  Colonel  Dodge  tarry  several  days 
in  order  that  they  might  hunt  and  bring  him 
buffalo  meat.  "The  good  effects  of  the  ex 
pedition,"  writes  Lieutenant  Kingsbury, 
"are  thus  becoming  apparent,  and  it  will 
probably  have  the  effect  to  establish  peace 
among  all  the  different  tribes  between  the 
Arkansas  and  the  Platte.  This  will  be  of 
immense  advantage  to  these  Indians,  as  they 


126  HENRY  DODGE 

will  thereby  have  an  extensive  country 
opened  to  them,  covered  with  innumerable 
buffalo,  where  they  can  hunt  in  safety  with 
out  the  fear  of  being  attacked". 

Long  daily  marches  down  the  Arkansas 
were  made  in  the  next  week  across  plains, 
sand  hills,  buffalo  grass,  and  prickly  pear.182 
On  the  21st  of  August,  1835,  the  detachment 
took  the  old  Santa  Fe  trail.  Arriving  at  the 
Pawnee  Fork  the  command  halted  for  a  day 
in  order  to  kill  buffalo  to  provision  them  to 
Fort  Leavenworth.  The  horses  were  made  to 
swim  the  swollen  stream,  while  the  baggage 
was  transported  across  in  buffalo  skins. 

For  forty  or  fifty  miles  the  line  of  march 
bore  down  the  Arkansas  River.  Late  in 
August  the  course  of  march  veered  to  the 
north.  Forced  marches  were  the  only  inci 
dents  of  note  during  the  next  week.  "  Con 
tinued  the  march",  concludes  Lieutenant 
Kingsbury's  narrative  of  this  expedition, 
"  Crossed  the  Hundred-and-ten  mile  creek, 
and  entered  upon  the  dividing  ridge  between 
the  Kansas  and  Osage  rivers ;  passed  Round 
and  Elm  Groves,  and  arrived  at  the  crossing 
of  the  Kansas,  at  Dunlap's  Ferry,  on  the 
15th;  crossed  the  river  and  on  the  16th  ar 
rived  at  Fort  Leavenworth." 


MARCH  TO  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS  127 

High  praise  was  accorded  to  the  whole 
command  for  the  success  of  the  expedition, 
which  Brigadier  General  Edmund  P.  Gaines 
regarded  as  extraordinary  and  unprece 
dented.  He  believed  that  the  Indian  tribes 
had  been  judiciously  impressed  with  the  jus 
tice,  magnanimity,  humanity,  and  power  of 
the  government,  with  no  loss  of  life  except 
that  of  one  Dragoon.18"  This  success  Gaines 
believed  to  be  due  to  the  "very  great  vig 
ilance,  care,  and  prudence,  on  the  part  of 
the  colonel  and  his  officers,  and  constant  at 
tention,  obedience,  and  fidelity  on  the  part 
of  the  non-commissioned  officers  and  sol 
diers." 


GOVERNOR  or  THE  ORIGINAL  TERRITORY  OF 
WISCONSIN  1836-1838 

FIVE  years  of  official  life  as  Governor  now 
lay  before  Henry  Dodge  who  at  this  point 
enters  upon  a  political  career  of  over  twenty 
years.  These  five  years  witness  the  organ 
ization  of  Territorial  governments,  the  ad 
ministration  of  law  for  an  expanding  and 
increasing  population,  the  founding  of 
towns,  cities,  and  permanent  homes,  and  the 
planting  of  the  seeds  of  social  and  political 
institutions  for  two  Commonwealths.  In 
brief  these  years  represent  another  step  in 
the  westerning  movement  of  American  set 
tlement  and  State-building. 

The  creation  of  the  original  Territory  of 
Wisconsin  was  largely  the  fruit  of  many 
memorials,  letters,  and  efforts  from  the 
people  of  the  lead  region.  As  early  as  Feb 
ruary  10,  1829,  Henry  Dodge  had  urged  the 
separation  of  this  region  from  the  Territory 
of  Michigan.184  The  westward  increase  of 

128 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1836-1838  129 

population  had  quickened  the  eastward  flow 
of  petitions  to  Congress.  But  jealousy  be 
tween  Green  Bay  and  the  lead  region  about 
Galena  over  the  location  of  the  capital  had 
prevented  favorable  action  by  Congress 
until  April  20,  1836,  when  the  original  Ter 
ritory  of  Wisconsin  was  finally  established. 
Colonel  Dodge  while  with  the  Dragoons 
had  been  watching  the  prospective  division 
of  Michigan  Territory  with  much  interest. 
He  could,  indeed,  flatter  himself  that  he 
stood  high  in  the  estimation  of  President 
Jackson;  he  understood  thoroughly  the 
wants  of  the  mining  district  and  understood 
the  character  of  the  Indians  upon  the  Mis 
sissippi  better  than  any  other  man.  His 
letters  to  George  W.  Jones  express  strong 
hopes  that  the  governorship  of  the  Terri 
tory  likely  to  be  created  would  be  bestowed 
upon  him.  "The  best  energies  of  My  life", 
he  wrote  late  in  1835,  "has  been  spent  in  the 
Mining  Country,  the  great  Mass  of  the 
People  of  that  Country  I  believe  are  my 
friends  and  the  gratitude  I  know  they  feel 
for  my  Humble  services  is  More  gratifying 
to  me  than  any  Public  Station  that  could  be 
Conferred  on  me  if  it  is  their  wishes  How 
ever  [that]  I  should  Be  their  Gov.  I  will 


130  HENRY  DODGE 

Honestly  Serve  them  to  the  best  of  my  Hum 
ble  Abilities  and  retire  from  the  Army".185 

Three  loyal  friends  of  Colonel  Dodge  - 
Richard  M.  Johnson,  Mr.  Ashley,  and 
George  W.  Jones  —  seconded  the  wishes  of 
the  people  of  the  mining  country  in  urging 
his  appointment.  To  the  President  the 
military  record  of  Colonel  Dodge  could  well 
appeal ;  and  so  on  the  last  day  of  April,  1836, 
the  commission  of  Dodge  as  Governor  of  the 
original  Territory  of  Wisconsin  was  is 
sued.186  Two  months  later  amid  the  festivi 
ties  of  Independence  Day,  and  in  the  pres 
ence  of  former  neighbors  and  companions  in 
arms,  Colonel  Dodge  took  the  oath  of  office 
at  Mineral  Point. 

A  vast  domain  of  territory  was  included 
within  the  boundaries  of  the  area  over  which 
Henry  Dodge  was  called  to  preside.  To  the 
east  of  the  Mississippi  River  lay  the  present 
State  of  Wisconsin,  while  to  the  west  of  it 
lay  the  present  State  of  Iowa  and  portions 
of  Minnesota,  and  of  North  and  South  Da 
kota.  A  hardy  and  vigorous  population 
numbering  over  twenty  thousand,  from 
nearly  every  State  in  the  Union,  had  already 
braved  Indian  dangers  and  founded  homes. 
The  administration  of  Henry  Dodge  as  the 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1836-1838  131 

first  Governor  extended  over  a  period  of 
five  years  and  is  the  heritage  of  two  Com 
monwealths  -  -  Iowa  and  Wisconsin. 

By  the  Organic  Act  of  the  Territory  gen 
eral  executive  powers  were  vested  in  the 
Governor,  who  was  appointed  for  three 
years  at  an  annual  salary  of  $1500.  In  legis 
lative  matters  he  possessed  the  power  of  ap 
proving  or  vetoing  bills  passed  by  the  Legis 
lative  Assembly.  An  additional  salary  of 
$1000  was  granted  the  Governor  who  was 
also  required  to  execute  the  duties  of  Super 
intendent  of  Indian  Affairs  for  the  Terri 
tory —  an  office  for  which  Henry  Dodge 
possessed  unusual  qualifications  from  his 
long  military  and  treaty-making  experiences 
with  the  Indian  tribes. 

A  census  ordered  by  Governor  Dodge  to 
be  taken  in  July,  1836,  revealed  an  expand 
ing  population.  Four  counties  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Mississippi  River  returned  a 
population  of  11,683 ;  while  the  two  counties 
of  Dubuque  and  Demoine  on  the  west  side 
gave  a  population  of  10,531.187  On  the  9th 
of  September  the  Governor  called  for  an 
election  on  October  10th  for  members  of  the 
Legislative  Assembly  and  apportioned  the 
members  of  the  Council  and  House  of  Eep- 


132  HENRY  DODGE 

resentatives  among  the  six  counties.188  Of 
the  thirteen  members  of  the  Council  and  the 
twenty-six  Representatives,  six  and  twelve 
respectively  were  to  be  chosen  from  the  west 
side  of  the  Mississippi  River. 

Indian  affairs  demanded  Governor 
Dodge's  attention  in  August  and  September 
of  1836.  The  obtainment  of  land  cessions, 
the  general  supervision  of  Indian  agencies, 
the  task  of  maintaining  peace  between  the 
whites  and  the  Indians  and  among  the  tribes 
themselves  were  some  of  the  duties  of  the 
Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs.  Similar 
duties  had  been  performed  by  such  Superin 
tendents  as  William  Henry  Harrison  of  In 
diana  Territory,  William  Clark  of  Missouri 
Territory,  and  in  Dodge's  own  region  by 
Lewis  Cass  of  Michigan  Territory. 

Near  Green  Bay  on  the  Fox  River  Gov 
ernor  Dodge  concluded  his  first  treaty  on 
September  3,  1836.189  More  than  four  mil 
lion  acres  of  pine  lands  were  ceded  to  the 
United  States  by  the  Menominee  nation. 
This  large  area  lay  along  the  Wolf,  the  Me 
nominee,  the  Fox,  and  the  Wisconsin  rivers 
and  was  obtained  for  about  ten  cents  an  acre 
payable  in  twenty  annual  installments. 
Thus  a  great  forest  was  opened  to  the  lum- 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1836-1838  133 

bering  industry.  Indian  villages  gave  way 
to  lumbering  camps  and  sawmills.  The 
Menominee  hunters  with  their  guns  and 
tomahawks  were  followed  by  lumbermen 
with  axes.  Ox  teams  began  to  follow  Indian 
trails;  while  the  sound  of  Indian  war- 
whoops  became  drowned  in  the  hum  of  saw 
mills  and  the  sound  of  American  axes. 

Another  treaty  was  negotiated  by  Gov 
ernor  Dodge  with  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribes 
at  Davenport  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  the 
same  month.  Twenty-four  chiefs,  braves, 
and  principal  men  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribes 
signed  this  treaty  whereby  they  relinquished 
all  claim  to  the  lands  lying  between  the  west 
ern  boundary  of  the  State  of  Missouri  and 
the  Missouri  River.  The  youthful  James 
W.  Grimes  acted  as  secretary  of  this  com 
mission.19  In  the  previous  January,  while 
with  the  Dragoons  at  Fort  Leavenworth 
Colonel  Dodge  had  expressed  some  pro 
nounced  views  concerning  this  area.  "The 
inhabitants  residing  on  the  Western  Border 
of  the  State  of  Missouri  are  Much  opposed 
to  the  Location  of  the  Indians  immediately 
West  of  the  State  Line.  I  have  no  Hesita 
tion  in  saying  that  Strip  of  Country  should 
be  annexed  to  the  State  of  Missouri".191 


134  HENRY  DODGE 

In  the  next  year  Congress  passed  a  law192 
by  which  this  region  was  added  in  1837  to 
the  State  in  which  Henry  Dodge  had  grown 
to  manhood. 

Another  treaty  of  great  importance  to  the 
future  of  Iowa  was  negotiated  by  Governor 
Dodge  on  the  next  day  on  the  present  site  of 
Davenport.193  This  was  in  regard  to  the 
famous  "Keokuk  Reserve",  containing 
256,000  acres,  which  had  been  reserved  for 
the  Sacs  and  Foxes  by  the  treaty  of  Sep 
tember  21,  1832.  Besides  the  regular  pur 
chase  price  of  $130,000  the  government  as 
sumed  for  the  Indians  several  items  of  in 
debtedness,  making  the  cost  of  this  magnifi 
cent  estate  between  seventy  and  seventy-five 
cents  per  acre. 

Besides  the  chiefs  and  braves  at  this  treaty 
hundreds  of  Sac  and  Fox  warriors  were 
encamped  upon  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi 
River.  Passengers  from  the  steamboat 
" Missouri  Fulton"  had  landed  to  enjoy  the 
dramatic  features  of  the  scene.194  Many  of 
ficers  and  Indian  interpreters  were  present 
to  witness  the  formalities  of  the  event. 
Keokuk,  the  principal  speaker,  was  recog 
nized  as  the  chief  of  the  tribes.  With  his 
noble  countenance,  dignified  form,  and 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1836-1838  135 

highly  decorated  vestments  he  made  the 
council  tent  ring  with  his  eloquence.  Black 
Hawk,  dethroned  and  despised  since  his  de 
feat  by  Colonel  Dodge,  maintained  a  dumb 
and  dismal  silence.  Wapello's  stoical  in 
difference  commanded  respect  and  made  a 
striking  contrast  to  the  young  and  talented 
but  dissipated  Appanoose.  Nan-pope,  a 
companion  in  misfortune  of  Black  Hawk, 
was  not  allowed  to  speak  or  even  to  sign  the 
treaty.  "NaJi-pope  rose,  however,"  relates 
George  Catlin  who  witnessed  the  scene,  "and 
commenced  a  very  earnest  speech  on  the 
subject  of  temperance!  but  Governor  Dodge 
ordered  him  to  sit  down,  (as  being  out  of 
order),  which  probably  saved  him  from  a 
much  more  peremptory  command  from 
Kee-o-kuk,  who  was  rising  at  that  moment, 
with  looks  on  his  face  that  the  Devil  himself 
might  have  shrunk  from."195 

After  the  signing  of  the  treaty  Governor 
Dodge  urged  that  the  Indians  vacate  the 
cession  promptly  so  as  to  make  room  for 
inflowing  settlers.  This  advice  caused  con 
siderable  mirth  among  the  Indians,  and  their 
reply  indicated  the  immediate  value  of  the 
soil:  " There  are  already  four  hundred 
Chemokemons  [white  settlers]  on  the  land, 


136  HENRY  DODGE 

and  several  hundred  more  on  their  way 
moving  in;  and  three  days  before  we  came 
away,  one  Chemokemon  sold  his  wigwam 
to  another  Chemokemon  for  two  thousand 
dollars,  to  build  a  great  town."196 

Political  matters  next  claimed  the  atten 
tion  of  Governor  Dodge  who  now  repaired 
to  Belmont  in  Iowa  County.  Here  the  Gov 
ernor  had  chosen  to  convene  the  first  Legis 
lative  Assembly  on  October  25, 1836.  When 
the  legislators  assembled  a  crude  village  was 
observed,  consisting  of  a  frame  building  for 
the  capitol,  a  tavern,  three  lodging-houses, 
two  grog-shops,  a  printing-office,  and  an 
unfinished  stable.  Criticism  was  directed 
upon  the  Governor  for  having  chosen  a 
capital  with  such  miserable  accommoda 
tions.  "The  whole  of  the  Brown  delega 
tion  ",  wrote  one  member,  "lodged  in  one 
room,  about  fifteen  by  twenty  feet,  and  our 
lobby  friends  roomed  with  us.  Our  beds 
were  all  full,  and  the  floor  well-spread  with 
blankets  and  over-coats  for  lodging  pur 
poses."197 

Other  discomforts  came  with  the  cold 
weather.  Wood  was  scarce,  and  these 
pioneer  law-makers  were  compelled  to 
shiver  from  the  raw  November  and  Decem- 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1836-1838   137 

ber  air.  It  was  difficult  even  to  secure 
enough  water  for  toilet  purposes;  while 
other  complaints  arose  over  the  bill  of  fare 
at  the  tavern.  "That  the  Legislators  of  the 
great  Territory  of  Wisconsin  should  be 
made  comfortable  during  the  discharge  of 
their  duties",  wrote  an  anonymous  sufferer, 
' '  I  think  necessary  for  the  enactment  of  good 
and  substantial  laws.  Empty  stomachs 
make  clear  heads,  but  not  good  laws.  The 
Lord  deliver  us  from  a  set  of  hungry  Legis 
lators."198 

A  brief,  clear,  and  sensible  message  was 
delivered  in  person  by  the  Governor  on  the 
second  day  of  the  session.  The  Legislative 
Assembly  was  urged  to  define  the  jurisdic 
tion  and  powers  of  the  several  courts  of  the 
Territory  and  to  divide  it  into  judicial  dis 
tricts.  Memorials,  he  said,  should  be  sent  to 
Congress  on  the  subject  of  preemptions  and 
internal  improvements  such  as  harbors, 
lighthouses,  and  roads.  The  improvement 
of  the  Rock  River  he  considered  a  question 
of  vital  importance ;  while  he  urged  that  the 
organization  and  arming  of  the  militia  was 
necessary  to  insure  the  future  peace  of  the 
Territory.199 

This  session  lasted  forty-six  days,  during 


138  HENRY  DODGE 

which  forty-two  laws  were  enacted  upon  a 
variety  of  subjects.  Three  banks  were  in 
corporated  —  the  Miners  Bank  at  Dubuque, 
the  Bank  at  Milwaukee,  and  the  Bank  at 
Mineral  Point.  Many  laws  upon  local  gov 
ernment  were  passed;  the  construction  of 
bridges  and  Territorial  roads  was  author 
ized;  and  new  counties  on  both  sides  of  the 
river  were  created. 

The  question  of  locating  the  permanent 
capital  had  touched  a  score  of  selfish  inter 
ests  and  had  produced  some  stormy  discus 
sions  in  the  Legislative  Assembly.  ' '  I  deem 
it  proper  to  state",  the  Governor  had  de 
clared  in  his  message,  "that  my  assent  will 
be  given  to  its  location  at  any  point  where  a 
majority  of  the  representatives  of  the  people 
agree  it  will  best  promote  the  public  good." 
Peru,  Cassville,  Bellevue,  and  Burlington 
presented  their  claims;  and  a  strong  re 
monstrance  came  from  the  citizens  of 
Dubuque  County.  Charges  of  corruption 
and  bargaining  were  given  and  taken,  and 
even  Governor  Dodge  did  not  wholly  escape 
from  a  suspicion  which  was  subsequently 
shown  to  be  without  reason.  By  the  act  of 
December  3,  1836,  the  capital  was  finally 
located  at  Madison;  but  until  the  public 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1836-1838  139 

buildings  at  that  place  should  be  completed 
the  legislative  sessions  were  to  be  held  at 
Burlington  in  Des  Moines  County. 

Turning  again  to  his  duties  as  Superin 
tendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  Governor  Dodge 
found  much  to  be  desired  in  the  way  of  re 
form.  At  every  payment  of  specie  annuity 
at  Port  Winnebago  the  most  shameful 
scenes  of  drunkenness  and  murders  among 
the  Indians  were  enacted.  Traders  and 
peddlers  would  swarm  around  the  Indian 
village  and  dispense  whiskey  to  the  ignorant 
savages  as  long  as  they  were  able  to  pay  for 
it.  Joseph  Montfort  Street,  the  Indian 
Agent  at  Rock  Island,  made  strong  efforts 
to  have  some  of  the  annuity  money  given  to 
the  Indians  in  the  form  of  Indian  schools, 
blacksmith  shops,  and  farming  implements. 
Orders  from  Washington,  however,  made  it 
impossible  for  either  Street  or  Governor 
Dodge  to  promote  such  a  reform. 

In  July,  1837,  Governor  Dodge  journeyed 
far  to  the  north  to  Port  Snelling  at  the  head 
of  the  Mississippi  River.  Messengers  had 
been  dispatched  to  invite  the  Chippewas  to 
a  grand  council,  and  late  in  the  month  about 
twelve  hundred  Chippewas  and  about  four 
hundred  Sioux  had  assembled.  This  unex- 


140  HENRY  DODGE 

pected  convocation  had  also  drawn  to  it  a 
host  of  traders  and  agents  of  fur  companies. 
By  the  treaty  signed  on  July  29,  1837,  the 
great  pine  forests  of  the  St.  Croix  River 
were  ceded  to  the  United  States.  Liberal 
payments  were  made  in  money,  tobacco, 
blacksmith  shops,  grain,  seed,  farming  im 
plements,  and  provisions.  Incidentally  this 
council  resulted  in  sending  a  Sioux  delega 
tion  to  visit  Secretary  of  War  Poinsett.200 

Late  in  October,  1837,  Governor  Dodge 
and  the  members  of  the  Legislative  Assem 
bly  were  on  their  way  to  Burlington  where 
the  second  session  was  to  convene  on  Nov 
ember  6.  A  cotillion  was  given  in  honor  of 
the  legislators,  and  Burlington  outdid  Bel- 
mont  in  providing  both  hospitality  and  com 
fort.  Taverns  and  hotels  were  plenty,  and 
the  " Exchange"  was  open  at  reasonable 
hours  where  "a  clean  tumbler,  fresh  water, 
and  an  excellent  glass,  courteously  served 
may  be  had".  Prairie  chicken,  venison, 
duck,  goose,  and  fish  were  served  from  the 
kitchen  of  "that  prince  of  cuisines,  Mon 
sieur  Tide. " 201 

This  session  was  held  in  a  building  which 
had  been  constructed  for  the  Legislative 
Assembly  during  the  previous  summer ;  and 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1836-1838  141 

Jeremiah  Smith,  an  enterprising  member  of 
the  House  of  Representatives,  had  spent 
about  $7000  in  its  construction.  On  a  cold 
night  on  December  13th,  the  entire  structure 
was  totally  destro}^ed  by  fire.  A  special  com 
mittee  of  the  Legislative  Assembly  investi 
gated  the  calamity  and  reported  that  the  fire 
was  purely  of  an  accidental  origin.202  Both 
bodies  were  then  forced  to  hold  their  ses 
sions  in  two  small  buildings  on  Main  Street. 

Governor  Dodge  delivered  his  message  in 
the  hall  of  the  House  on  the  second  day  of  the 
session.203  Many  of  the  recommendations  in 
his  first  message  were  repeated.  The  codi 
fication  of  the  Territorial  laws  was  urged; 
the  disputed  boundary  between  the  Terri 
tory  and  the  State  of  Missouri  was  dis 
cussed;  the  erection  of  county  jails  where 
needed  was  urged;  and  it  was  pointed  out 
that  a  reapportionment  of  Representative 
districts  needed  to  be  made.  During  this 
session  five  veto  messages  were  sent  by  the 
Governor  to  the  Legislative  Assembly. 

When  the  law-makers  adjourned  on  Jan 
uary  20,  1838,  over  one  hundred  laws  had 
been  enacted  upon  a  great  variety  of  sub 
jects.  The  Governor  departed  for  his  home 
at  Mineral  Point  on  January  23rd,  leaving 


142  HENRY  DODGE 

a  fine  record  at  Burlington.  "  Governor 
Dodge  is  the  very  best  executive  officer  this 
Territory  could  get",  wrote  a  local  editor. 
"  Practical  sense,  firmness,  courage,  a 
knowledge  of  the  frontier  character,  and  of 
the  Indian  character  —  are  indispensible  for 
such  an  officer ;  and  these  he  possesses  in  an 
eminent  degree."204 

Business  in  the  Indian  and  the  executive 
departments  engaged  Governor  Dodge  for 
the  next  five  months.  He  believed  that  so  far 
his  administration  had  met  the  approval  of 
the  great  mass  of  the  people.  Henry  Dodge 
was  now  in  his  fifty-fifth  year,  and  no  doubt 
the  pressure  and  worry  of  his  office  some 
times  brought  on  a  desire  for  retirement. 
Writing  to  George  W.  Jones  on  February 
19,  1837,  he  said:  "I  have  Had  Offices 
Enough  to  Satisfy  one  man  and  from  my 
present  feelings  on  that  Subject  I  think  I 
will  never  be  a  candidate  for  Any  Public 
Office  after  I  retire  from  my  present  Sta 
tion".205 

Meanwhile  everybody  was  expecting  that 
a  separate  Territory  would  be  created  wrest 
of  the  Mississippi  River.  Petitions  and 
memorials  had  been  sent  to  Washington, 
Territorial  newspapers  had  discussed  it,  and 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1836-1838  143 

the  matter  had  come  up  in  the  Legislative 
Assembly.  In  Congress  it  appears  that 
Delegate  George  W.  Jones  had  been  working 
for  such  a  measure  and  had  cited  the  enor 
mous  increase  of  the  population  as  a  potent 
argument.  As  early  as  May  25,  1838,  Gov 
ernor  Dodge  had  written  a  letter  to  Presi 
dent  Van  Buren  in  which  he  urged  that 
George  W.  Jones  be  appointed  Governor  of 
the  Territory  if  it  were  to  be  created.206 

An  extra  session  of  the  Legislative  Assem 
bly  convened  at  Burlington  on  June  11, 1838, 
to  pass  a  law  to  reapportion  the  representa 
tion  in  the  lower  branch  of  that  body.  Dur 
ing  the  session  of  fifteen  days  thirty  acts 
were  passed.  On  the  13th  of  June  the  Gov 
ernor  wrote  to  Delegate  Jones  at  Washing 
ton  that  "there  is  great  Political  calculation 
making  here  among  the  great  Men  who  are 
waiting  impatiently  to  hear  the  result  of  the 
Division  of  the  Territory".207  On  the  day 
before,  however,  President  Van  Buren  had 
signed  the  act  whereby  was  to  be  created  on 
July  4,  1838,  the  Territory  of  Iowa. 

The  first  two  years  of  the  administration 
of  Henry  Dodge  represent  the  connecting 
link  between  Iowa  and  the  Old  Northwest. 
During  this  time  the  aegis  of  the  Ordinance 


144  HENRY  DODGE 

of  1787  extended  over  the  Iowa  country, 
bringing  with  it  a  mass  of  precedents,  con 
ventions,  and  traditions,  which  for  many 
years  had  found  sway  in  the  Territories  of 
the  Northwest  under  such  Governors  as  St. 
Clair,  Harrison,  Cass,  and  Mason. 

Finally,  from  these  two  years  there 
emerge  the  beginnings  of  local  government 
and  administration.  Township  and  county 
officers  are  appointed  and  their  duties  and 
powers  prescribed ;  townships,  counties,  and 
other  units  of  administration  are  created; 
and  the  judicial  system  is  inaugurated  and 
improved.  Henry  Dodge's  use  of  the  ex 
ecutive  power  conduced  toward  harmony  in 
administration,  restraint  upon  unwise  legis 
lation,  and  a  check  upon  the  tendency  to 
ward  speculation  and  extravagance.  From 
a  retrospect  of  over  seventy  years,  therefore, 
this  biennium  presents  an  administration 
that  was  honest,  efficient,  and  faithful. 


XI 

GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  TERRITORY 

1838-1841 

HENRY  DODGE'S  governorship  of  the  Terri 
tory  of  Wisconsin  covers  a  period  of  nearly 
three  years,  during  which  the  population  of 
the  Territory  increased  from  about  eighteen 
thousand  in  1838  to  over  thirty  thousand  in 
1840.  It  is  a  continuation  of  his  successful 
administration  of  the  same  office  in  the 
original  Territory  of  Wisconsin:  the  man 
agement  of  Indian  affairs  continues  as  one 
of  his  principal  problems ;  the  growing  vig 
orous  Territory  presses  its  demands  for  in 
ternal  improvements;  the  germs  of  State 
hood  are  planted;  and  the  Governor  wit 
nesses  the  rise  of  the  political  party  system 
in  Wisconsin. 

The  Governor's  first  message208  was  a 
legislative  chart  to  guide  the  progress  of  the 
thirty-nine  law-makers  who  assembled  at 
Madison  on  November  26, 1838.  At  the  out 
set  the  Governor  asserted  that  the  division 

10  145 


146  HENRY  DODGE 

of  the  Territory  had  been  a  wise  step.  He 
urged  a  memorial  to  Congress  requesting  a 
law  which  would  allow  biennial  instead  of 
quadrennial  elections  for  members  of  the 
Council  and  annual  instead  of  biennial  terms 
for  the  Representatives.  This  would  be  in 
accordance  with  the  tenures  provided  in  the 
Organic  Act  for  the  Territory  of  Iowa. 
,  Attention  was  also  called  to  the  question 
of  Statehood.  The  population  and  the 
natural  resources  of  the  Territory  indicated 
that  "the  time  is  not  distant  when  she 
will  form  a  strong  link  in  the  chain  of  States 
in  the  great  valley  of  the  Mississippi. "  Then 
he  urged  the  enactment  of  a  law  that  would 
provide  a  tax  on  the  lands  of  non-residents. 
Such  a  law  would  be  permitted  by  Congress, 
and  the  proceeds  could  be  applied  for  the 
benefit  of  the  common  schools.  "Its  happy 
influence  over  the  morals  of  our  citizens 
would  promote  the  cause  of  Religion  and 
Virtue,  and  cement  more  closely  the  bonds 
of  our  political  union,  and  be  the  means  of 
preparing  the  rising  generation  to  partici 
pate  in  the  councils  of  our  common  country, 
as  well  as  to  enjoy  and  defend  our  free  insti 
tutions  from  the  polluting  touch  of  aris 
tocracy  and  despotism." 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1838-1841  147 

The  law-makers  were  advised  to  investi 
gate  those  banks  which  had  violated  the  pro 
visions  of  their  charters.  It  was  urged  also 
that  a  committee  be  appointed  to  revise  the 
Territorial  laws  and  to  render  them  more 
intelligible  and  accessible  to  the  people ;  and 
finally  it  was  urged  that  three  judicial  dis 
tricts  be  created  by  the  Legislative  Assem- 
bly. 

A  large  number  of  memorials  to  Congress 
were  suggested.  For  example,  that  body 
should  be  asked  to  appropriate  $250,000  for 
harbors  and  lighthouses  on  Lake  Michigan. 
Population  would  be  increased,  the  shipping 
trade  would  grow,  and  the  public  lands 
would  be  much  enhanced  in  price.  Special 
stress  was  laid  upon  the  importance  of  a 
good  harbor  at  Milwaukee.  Another  memo 
rial  should  request  that  150,000  acres  of  land 
be  exposed  to  sale,  and  that  the  proceeds 
therefrom  be  used  in  improving  the  Fox 
River  of  Green  Bay  and  the  Rock  and  the 
Pecatonica  rivers.  Such  improvements 
would  shorten  the  route  of  transportation 
(which  was  then  by  way  of  New  Orleans) 
by  providing  an  eastern  outlet  for  the  lead, 
peltries,  and  lumber  of  the  Territory. 

The    Governor    thought    that    Congress 


148  HENRY  DODGE 

should  also  be  asked  to  grant  $10,000  to  be 
used  in  removing  the  obstructions  to  naviga 
tion  on  the  Mississippi  River.  For  steam 
boats  to  pass  the  rapids  of  that  river  it  re 
quired  the  unloading  of  their  cargoes,  and 
the  time  and  money  thus  spent  in  lightening 
the  boats  was  estimated  to  be  fifteen  per  cent 
of  the  cargo.  The  State  of  Illinois  and  the 
Territory  of  Iowa  shared  the  interest  of 
Wisconsin  Territory  in  this  needed  im 
provement. 

From  his  message  of  1836  the  Governor 
quoted  his  views  in  regard  to  the  necessity  of 
securing  preemption  rights  for  the  lead 
miners,  whose  interests  he  was  ever  ready  to 
promote.  Another  memorial  should  request 
the  extinguishment  of  the  title  of  the 
Menominees  to  that  land  bordering  on  the 
Fox  River  from  the  mouth  of  the  Wolf 
River  to  the  Portage  of  the  Fox  and  Wis 
consin  rivers. 

An  unfinished  capitol  edifice  greeted  the 
members  of  the  Second  Legislative  Assem 
bly  as  they  convened  for  their  first  session  at 
Madison.  For  several  days  they  met  in  the 
basement  of  the  old  American  House,  where 
Governor  Dodge  delivered  his  first  message 
on  the  second  day  of  the  session.  This  was 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1838-1841  149 

then  the  only  public  house  in  Madison,  and 
it  served  as  the  political  headquarters. 

At  last  the  Legislative  Assembly  moved 
into  the  new  Assembly  Hall.  The  floor  had 
been  laid  with  green  oak  boards,  full  of  ice, 
while  the  seats  were  constructed  of  the  same 
material.  Desks  were  made  of  rough  boards. 
The  one  fireplace  and  the  one  small  stove 
were  not  sufficient  to  keep  the  ink  from 
freezing  and  the  legislators  from  shivering 
with  the  cold.  The  green  boards  near  the 
stove  and  fireplace  shrunk,  leaving  large 
cracks  between.  "The  basement  story  was 
all  open, ' '  declares  a  member  of  this  pioneer 
Assembly,  "and  James  Morrison's  large 
drove  of  hogs  had  taken  possession.  .  .  . 
We  had  a  great  many  smart  members  in  the 
House,  and  sometimes  they  spoke  from 
Buncombe.  When  members  of  this  ilk 
would  become  too  tedious,  I  would  take  a 
long  pole,  go  at  the  hogs,  and  stir  them  up ; 
when  they  would  raise  a  young  pande 
monium  for  noise  and  confusion.  The 
speaker's  voice  would  become  completely 
drowned,  and  he  would  be  compelled  to  stop, 
not,  however,  without  giving  his  squealing 
disturbers  a  sample  of  his  swearing  abil 
ity."209 


150  HENRY  DODGE 

Very  meager  appropriations  were  made 
by  Congress  for  the  Territory  for  the  year 
1839 ;  and  so  the  second  session  of  the  Legis 
lative  Assembly  in  January,  1839,  devoted 
itself  largely  to  the  unfinished  business  of 
the  former  session.  By  a  Congressional  act 
of  March  3,  1839,  the  veto  power  of  the 
Governor  had  been  modified  to  a  qualified 
veto,  it  being  provided  that  bills  might  be 
come  laws  if  passed  by  a  majority  of  two- 
thirds  after  having  been  returned  by  the 
Governor  without  his  signature. 

Indian  affairs  became  an  important  pub 
lic  question  during  this  session.  The  Win- 
nebago  tribe,  by  the  treaty  of  November, 
1837,  had  agreed  to  vacate  their  ceded  lands 
in  eight  months.  Their  depredations  and 
threatening  attitude  stimulated  a  corres 
pondence  between  the  War  Department  and 
Governor  Dodge  who  requested  four  com 
panies  of  Dragoons  and  one  thousand  stands 
of  arms.  "  Unless  the  Government  takes 
the  proper  steps  to  effect  their  removal  early 
in  the  spring,"  said  the  Governor,  "I  will 
assume  the  responsibility  of  raising  a  mount 
ed  volunteer  corps  of  riflemen,  (and  head 
them  in  person)  sufficient  to  effect  their  re 
moval  from  this  territory."210 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1838-1841  151 

This  bellicose  declaration  brought  forth  a 
letter  from  the  Secretary  of  War  who  ex 
plained  that  the  tardiness  in  the  removal  of 
the  Winnebagoes  was  due  to  the  risk  and 
inconvenience  that  would  result  to  the  In 
dians  in  removing  them  at  an  improper 
season.  Furthermore,  the  Indians  felt  a 
great  reluctance  to  migrate  to  the  neutral 
strip  then  occupied  by  hostile  bands  of  the 
Sioux  and  Fox  tribes.  The  Secretary  an 
nounced  that  an  exploring  party  would  be 
sent  in  the  spring  to  choose  more  suitable 
ground  for  them,  and  closed  his  letter  with 
the  hope  that  Governor  Dodge  would  impose 
no  obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  execution  of 
the  department's  policies.211 

A  long  list  of  duties  fell  to  Henry  Dodge 
as  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs.212  He 
was  the  general  receiver  of  funds  within  his 
superintendency.  He  was  to  require  the 
presence  of  an  Agent  or  sub-agent  at  the 
superintendency  and  through  him  convey 
the  funds  to  the  various  agencies.  Each 
Agent  was  required  to  make  a  quarterly  re 
port  to  the  Superintendent,  before  the  pay 
ment  of  his  salary,  of  receipts  and  expendi 
tures,  and  of  the  goods,  stock,  provisions, 
and  husbandry  at  the  agency. 


152  HENRY  DODGE 

Generally  speaking  the  Governor  was  the 
medium  of  communication  between  the 
agencies  and  the  Indian  Bureau  at  Wash 
ington.  Memorials  were  forwarded  by  him 
to  Washington.  He  secured  the  execution 
of  the  bonds  of  the  various  Agents.  The 
task  of  erecting  buildings  was  sometimes 
delegated  to  the  Agent.  The  Governor  gave 
advice  as  to  expenditures  for  the  erection  of 
buildings  and  the  purchase  of  new  agency 
sites.  He  could  make  application  for  treat 
ies.  Complaints  from  the  whites  were  heard 
by  him;  and  he  inquired  into  the  claims  of 
fur  companies,  traders,  and  interpreters 
who  were  always  present  at  the  payment  of 
the  annuities. 

Dodge's  report  of  October  18,  1839,213  to 
the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs  de 
scribes  the  various  tribes  in  the  Territory 
for  that  year.  About  two-fifths  of  the  Win- 
nebagos  were  residing  within  thirty  miles 
of  Fort  Winnebago  and  were  showing  a  de 
sire  not  to  remove  from  their  ceded  lands 
and  to  refuse  to  obey  their  treaty  obligations. 
Compulsory  measures,  urged  Dodge,  will  be 
necessary  to  remove  them.  The  baneful  ef 
fects  of  the  sale  of  liquor  to  them  at  the 
Portage  and  at  Prairie  du  Chien  was  men- 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1838-1841  153 

tioned,  and  Dodge  quoted  the  following  from 
Sub- Agent  David  Lowry's  report:  "The 
Indian  can  only  be  redeemed  from  his  pres 
ent  degraded  state  by  the  protecting  policy 
of  the  government  removing  him  where  in 
tercourse  with  the  white  man  can  be  pro 
hibited,  and  establishing  schools  and  farms 
among  them,  under  the  supervision  of  com 
petent  agents." 

The  Chippewas  on  the  sources  of  the  Mis 
sissippi,  explained  the  report,  wrould  likely 
retain  their  warlike  and  wandering  habits. 
The  removal  of  the  Menominees  from  Green 
Bay  to  the  west  of  the  Mississippi  River  was 
advised.  The  tribe  was  scattered  over  a 
wide  expanse  of  territory,  living  by  hunting 
and  fowling,  and  derived  but  little  benefit 
from  annuities  or  the  schools  and  farms  es 
tablished  for  them.  Other  tribes  were  the 
Oneidas,  Munsees,  and  the  Stockbridges  at 
tached  to  the  Green  Bay  agency.  These 
Indians  were  few  in  number,  civilized,  and 
desirous  of  obtaining  the  rights  of  citizen 
ship.  It  was  advised  that  they  be  removed 
to  the  Missouri  to  free  them  from  the  evil  in 
fluences  of  the  whites. 

Until  the  year  1839  the  Territory  had  en 
joyed  freedom  from  the  turmoils  of  partisan 


154  HENKY  DODGE 

politics,  but  by  June  of  that  year  both  the 
Whig  and  the  Democratic  parties  were  gird 
ing  themselves  for  the  approaching  election 
of  Delegate  to  Congress.  Delegates  were 
chosen,  nominating  conventions  held,  reso 
lutions  were  adopted,  committees  were  ap 
pointed  to  prepare  and  issue  addresses,  and 
corresponding  committees  were  provided  for 
in  each  county. 

Byron  Killbourn  had  been  nominated  for 
Delegate  by  the  Democrats,  while  the  Whigs 
placed  in  the  field  the  brilliant  and  scholarly 
Judge  James  Duane  Doty  —  a  man  destined 
to  become  a  worthy  political  opponent  of 
Governor  Dodge.  On  June  29th  there  was 
announced  the  independent  candidacy  of 
Thomas  P.  Burnett,  which  was  intended  and 
regarded  as  a  rebuke  to  the  rise  of  partisan 
methods  and  candidates.  After  a  brief  but 
spirited  contest,  in  which  fourteen  counties 
participated,  Judge  Doty  was  elected  over 
Killbourn  by  a  large  majority.214 

Governor  Dodge's  message215  was  de 
livered  on  December  3, 1839.  "  It  is  the  hap 
piness  of  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  this  Ter 
ritory,  at  the  present  time",  wrote  the 
Madison  Express,  "that  his  path  is  unem 
barrassed  by  parti/  lines."21*  The  question 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1838-1841  155 

of  Statehood  was  again  emphasized.  A 
memorial  should  be  sent  to  Congress  asking 
for  $30,000  for  an  appropriation  for  the 
Penitentiary.  Attention  was  also  directed 
to  the  currency  which  had  been  largely 
drained  of  specie  by  the  land  sales;  and 
formal  recommendations  were  made  relative 
to  memorials  for  additional  Congressional 
appropriations. 

Rigid  investigation  of  the  bank  at  Mineral 
Point  was  urged.  The  exclusive  powers  of 
banks  have  been  derived  from  the  people, 
declared  the  Governor,  and  such  institutions 
are  consequently  proper  subjects  of  legisla 
tive  control.  Banks  when  properly  man 
aged  he  regarded  as  beneficial  to  both  the 
individual  and  to  the  community.  "It  must 
be  admitted,  however,  that  monied  associa 
tions  are  not  republican  in  their  tendency, 
and  when  used  for  purposes  of  specula 
tion,  have  a  withering  influence  on  the  best 
interests  of  the  great  mass  of  the  com 
munity.  Monopolies  of  every  kind  should 
be  put  down,  and  all  corporations  strictly 
confined  to  the  privileges  plainly  set  down 
in  their  charters." 

Sixty  laws  were  enacted  at  this  session  of 
the  Legislative  Assembly.  On  the  llth  of 


156  HENRY  DODGE 

January,  1840,  was  enacted  a  law  providing 
for  the  census.  The  Governor  was  author 
ized  to  contract  with  the  Marshal  of  the  Ter 
ritory,  at  a  sum  not  to  exceed  $600  to  furnish 
to  the  Governor  a  transcript  of  the  census 
of  the  Territory  as  taken  by  him  for  the 
sixth  census  authorized  by  Congress. 
Twenty-two  counties  showed  a  population  of 
30,747. 

An  extra  session  of  the  Second  Legislative 
Assembly  was  convened  at  Madison  on 
August  3,  1840.  Governor  Dodge's  message 
was  confined  to  the  recommendation  that  a 
reapportionment  of  Representative  districts 
be  made.  Twelve  other  acts  were  passed  at 
this  brief  session  which  lasted  but  twelve 
days. 

When  the  first  session  of  the  Third  Legis 
lative  Assembly  assembled  in  December, 
Governor  Dodge  again  referred  to  the  ques 
tion  of  Statehood  and  urged  that  action  be 
taken  upon  that  subject.  A  memorial  to 
Congress  should  request  annual  and  biennial 
elections  to  the  Legislative  Assembly ;  while 
another  petition  should  request  a  law  allow 
ing  popular  election  of  all  county  officers. 
Governor  Dodge  believed  the  people  of  the 
Territory  fully  competent  for  self -govern- 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1838-1841  157 

ment,  and  pointed  to  the  beneficial  results 
of  such  provisions  in  the  neighboring  Ter 
ritory  of  Iowa. 

Partisan  politics  grew  in  bitterness  as  the 
Territory  became  engulfed  in  the  noisy 
demonstrations  of  the  log-cabin  and  the 
hard-cider  campaign  of  1840.  Charge  after 
charge  was  made  by  the  Whigs  against  all 
Democratic  office-holders  from  the  Presi 
dent  down  to  the  Marshal  of  the  Territory. 
On  March  9,  1839,  Henry  Dodge  had  been 
appointed  to  the  office  of  Governor  for  the 
term  of  three  years,  and  a  majority  of  the 
people  hoped  for  a  continuance  of  his  honest 
and  efficient  administration.  The  theatrical 
campaign  of  1840  had,  however,  resulted  in 
the  election  of  a  Whig  President ;  and  so  in 
March  or  April  of  the  next  year  Governor 
Dodge  was  supplanted  by  James  Duane 
Doty,  the  leader  of  the  Whig  forces  in  the 
Territory  of  Wisconsin.217 


XII 

DELEGATE  FROM  THE  TERRITORY  or 
WISCONSIN 

PRESIDENT  Tyler's  appointment  of  Doty  re 
sulted  in  transferring  to  Congress  for  four 
years  the  services  of  Henry  Dodge  as  Dele 
gate  from  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin.  His 
unanimous  nomination  for  the  office  by  the 
Democrats  in  July,  1841,  was  followed  by  a 
brisk  campaign  against  Jonathan  E.  Arnold, 
the  Whig  nominee.  The  election  took  place 
on  the  27th  of  September,  and  the  results 
from  the  seventeen  counties  gave  him  a  ma 
jority  in  all  but  four  counties.  His  total 
vote  was  3,435  —  a  majority  of  507  over  the 
Whig  candidate.218 

It  was  a  tall,  dignified,  and  erect  figure 
that  stepped  up  with  a  military  bearing  to 
take  the  oath  of  office  in  the  House  of  Rep 
resentatives,  when  on  December  7,  1841,  ex- 
Governor  John  Reynolds  presented  the  cre 
dentials  of  Henry  Dodge.219  His  admission 
to  the  House  now  gave  three  Territorial 

158 


DELEGATE  TO  CONGRESS  159 

Delegates  to  that  body.  Augustus  Caesar 
Dodge  having  entered  Congress  in  the  pre 
vious  December  as  Delegate  from  the  Ter 
ritory  of  Iowa  was  there  to  welcome  his 
father  to  congressional  life.  The  Territory 
of  Florida  was  represented  by  Delegate 
David  Levy. 

By  the  Organic  Act  of  the  Territory  of 
Wisconsin  the  term  of  office  of  Henry  Dodge 
was  two  years.  As  Delegate  he  was  given  a 
salary  of  $8  per  day  with  $8  for  every  twen 
ty  miles  traveled  in  going  to  and  from 
Washington.  He  enjoyed  all  the  privileges 
of  a  Representative,  except  that  he  was 
neither  allowed  to  vote  nor  given  member 
ship  on  the  committees.  He  was  the  sole 
representative  at  Washington  to  present  and 
push  claims  from  the  Territory  and  to  take 
care  of  the  great  mass  of  memorials  and  pe 
titions  which  were  continually  being  sent  to 
him  from  the  Legislative  Assembly,  from 
towns,  and  from  citizens. 

An  important  duty  and  a  never-ending 
task  of  Delegate  Henry  Dodge  was  the  pre 
sentation  of  petitions  and  memorials.  The 
petitions  of  January  6, 1842,  are  illustrative 
of  this  fact:  four  petitions  asked  for  mail 
routes;  eight  more  requested  harbors;  ap- 


160  HENRY  DODGE 

propriations  for  roads  were  asked;  money 
was  desired  for  roads  and  for  the  improve 
ment  of  the  rivers  in  Wisconsin ;  petitions  in 
behalf  of  settlers  on  canal  lands  were  pre 
sented;  the  miners  of  the  Territory  asked 
for  concessions  and  another  memorial  re 
lated  to  the  subject  of  school  lands.220 

Ever  mindful  of  the  growth  and  pros 
perity  of  his  Territory  he  labored  faithfully 
in  securing  legislation  favorable  for  the 
settler  and  the  miner  whose  interests  always 
struck  a  responsive  chord  in  Henry  Dodge. 
When  on  July  14,  1842,  an  amendment  was 
introduced  which  proposed  to  reduce  the 
duty  on  lead  from  three  cents  to  two  and 
one-half  cents  per  pound,  he  rose  to  the  de 
fense  of  the  interests  of  the  miners  of  Wis 
consin  Territory.221  The  output  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  lead-mines  in  1841,  urged  Dodge, 
amounted  to  the  immense  sum  of  twenty 
millions  of  pounds.  Although  a  Democrat, 
and  not  a  friend  of  protective  or  high  duties, 
Mr.  Dodge  did  not  believe  that  sound  policy 
would  demand  a  low  duty  on  lead:  the  tax 
would  be  but  little  felt  on  account  of  the 
limited  use  of  the  article ;  the  mines  were  yet 
in  their  infancy  and  needed  the  fostering 
hand  of  the  government  to  develop  and  sus- 


DELEGATE  TO  CONGRESS  161 

tain  them ;  and,  finally,  it  was  urged  that  lead 
was  an  important  ingredient  of  war  and  its 
sufficient  production  would  render  the 
Nation  independent  of  other  sources. 

Justice,  sheer  justice,  urged  the  Delegate, 
demanded  from  the  national  legislators  that 
they  should  place  their  protecting  arms 
around  and  beneath  those  hardy  and  enter 
prising  men.  By  their  perseverance  and 
industry  they  had  enriched  the  national 
treasury  by  developing  the  mineral  wealth 
of  Wisconsin  Territory.  But  for  these  men 
the  country  would  be  a  savage  waste  and 
they  had  not  only  replenished  the  treasury 
by  the  sweat  of  their  brow,  but  they  had  also 
shed  their  blood  to  protect  the  country  to 
which  the  government  had  invited  them. 

Immense  benefits  would  accrue  to  the  gov 
ernment;  an  interior  commerce  would  be 
created;  the  value  of  the  public  domain 
would  be  increased ;  and  rapid  settlement  and 
increased  wealth  would  result.  Augustus 
Caesar  Dodge  then  followed  his  father  in 
defense  of  the  higher  duty,  and  William  C. 
Johnson  of  Maryland  warmly  indorsed  the 
arguments  of  the  Wisconsin  Delegate.  The 
vote  on  the  amendment  was  then  taken  and 
the  duty  was  left  at  three  cents. 

11 


162  HENRY  DODGE 

Five  days  later  Henry  Dodge  made  a 
strong  plea  for  his  bill  (introduced  on  June 
29, 1842)  which  made  appropriations  for  the 
construction  of  harbors  on  Lake  Michigan 
in  the  Wisconsin  Territory.222  These  were 
to  be  located  at  Milwaukee,  Eacine,  and 
Southport;  and  the  expenditures  for  these 
improvements,  estimated  Dodge,  would  be 
$171,118.  For  six  years  memorials  had  been 
sent  from  the  Territory  urging  the  improve 
ments;  but  the  incessant  calls  for  aid  had 
only  resulted  in  obtaining  surveys  at  these 
points. 

"More  than  four  hundred  miles  of  coast," 
he  said,  "extending  from  Chicago  to  Green 
Bay,  on  the  western  shore  of  Lake  Michigan, 
are  destitute  of  a  harbor  or  a  shelter,  where 
safety  can  be  found  for  vessels  from  the 
storms  and  high  winds  and  dangerous  surf 
which  characterize  that  lake  from  the  other 
great  lakes  of  the  Northwest.  The  entire 
length  of  the  coast  of  Lake  Michigan  is 
about  nine-hundred  and  eighty  miles;  and 
the  contemplated  harbors  will  afford  pro 
tection,  in  all  violent  storms,  to  vessels  trad 
ing  to  its  eastern  as  well  as  its  western 
shore." 

A  statement  was  then  submitted  showing 


DELEGATE  TO  CONGRESS  163 

the  great  loss  of  life  and  property  which  had 
resulted  from  the  unprotected  condition  of 
Lake  Michigan.  Aside  from  the  protection 
of  commerce  he  regarded  such  harbors  as 
national  works  from  their  usefulness  in  time 
of  war ;  millions  of  acres  remained  unsold  in 
Wisconsin  Territory;  and  the  erection  of 
harbors  would  tend  to  increase  the  naviga 
tion  to  the  Territory,  enhance  the  value  of 
the  public  lands,  and  increase  the  sales. 

He  pointed  out  that  "to  insure  the  growth 
of  the  Territory,  and  to  produce  the  devel 
opment  of  her  natural  advantages  and  great 
resources,  it  would  be  necessary  to  erect  her 
harbors,  improve  her  rivers,  and  assist  her 
to  open  a  few  important  roads ;  and,  in  aid 
ing  in  thus  bringing  into  successful  opera 
tion  her  many  advantages,  the  Government 
can  not  fail  to  advance  its  own  best  inter 
ests." 

A  bitter  controversy  in  which  the  Legis 
lative  Assembly  and  Delegate  Dodge  were 
arrayed  against  Governor  Doty  became  an 
unpleasant  feature  of  this  period.223  It  will 
be  recalled  that  in  1836  and  in  1838  Congress 
had  appropriated  $40,000  for  the  erection  of 
public  buildings  for  the  Territory.  To 
James  D.  Doty,  as  treasurer  of  the  board  of 


164  HENRY  DODGE 

commissioners,  this  sum  was  entrusted.  He 
refused,  however,  to  render  any  account  to 
the  Legislative  Assembly,  claiming  that  he 
was  accountable  only  to  the  Treasury  of  the 
United  States,  that  he  had  settled  with  the 
officials  of  the  Treasury  Department  and 
that  he  had  deposited  there  the  unexpended 
balance  of  $1758.28. 

Delegate  Henry  Dodge  on  May  14,  1842, 
moved  a  resolution 224  in  the  House  whereby 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  was  requested 
to  submit  all  the  papers  connected  with  Do 
ty  's  statement  in  regard  to  the  expenditure 
of  the  $40,000.  It  was  time,  thought  Dodge, 
that  all  the  facts  in  relation  to  this  matter 
should  be  elicited.  Fraud  and  corruption 
having  been  charged  against  Doty,  it  was 
due  to  the  Governor,  to  his  standing,  and  to 
the  relation  he  held  with  the  General  Gov 
ernment  that  he  should  appear  with  clean 
hands. 

Dodge  declared  that  the  people  and  the 
Legislative  Assembly  of  the  Territory  did 
not  agree  with  Doty  in  his  view  that  he  was 
not  accountable  to  them.  "It  is  believed  by 
them,  sir,"  he  said,  "that  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States  appropriated  the  money 
for  the  Territory,  expressly  to  enable  it  to 


DELEGATE  TO  CONGRESS  165 

erect  its  public  buildings,  and  placed  its  dis 
position  solely  under  the  Legislature  of  the 
Territory.  The  denial  on  the  part  of  Gov 
ernor  Doty  to  recognize  the  authority  of  the 
Legislature,  and  his  refusal  to  obey  the  laws 
which  they  have  passed,  and  to  pay  over  the 
money  to  the  Territory  which,  it  is  believed, 
he  holds,  to  those  who  have  been  appointed 
by  the  proper  authority  to  receive  it,  render 
the  call  for  information  on  the  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury  necessary." 

After  a  bitter  arraignment  of  Governor 
Doty  by  Representative  William  Medill  of 
Ohio,  Mr.  Dodge's  resolution  was  adopted. 
"You  will  perceive",  writes  Henry  Dodge  a 
month  later,  "from  the  Documents  I  have 
inclosed  You  lately  that  I  have  been  Nailing 
Doty[.~\  You  will  See  from  My  remarks  in 
the  House  that  I  treated  his  Excy  with 
great  Courtesy  at  the  same  time.  I  had  to 
notice  his  letter  and  the  Abuse  he  Heaped  on 
the  Legislative  Assembly  as  well  as  his  Whig 
Friends  by  doing  Justice  to  the  Character 
and  Standing  of  the  Members  of  the  Legis 
lature,  as  well  as  to  the  Whigs  who  had  as 
sembled  at  Milwaukee  and  Belmont  to  ex 
press  their  opinion  in  relation  to  the  integ 
rity  and  Honesty  of  their  Govt[.}  Nothing 


166  HENRY  DODGE 

saves  him  but  the  influence  Webster  has 
with  Tyler  ....  the  truth  is  I  sincerely  be 
lieve  that  Webster  Tal[l]ma[d]ge  and 
Tyler  are  the  Only  Men  who  do  Not  believe 
that  Doty  should  be  removed  immediately 
from  Office [.]  I  shall  Keep  a  good  Look 
Out  while  I  am  here  and  will  make  D  y. 
a  heavy  weight  for  Tyler  to  Carry  before  I 
am  done  with  him".225 

The  Committee  on  Territories,  to  which 
was  referred  the  information  requested  from 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  reported  on 
July  4,  1842.  The  committee,  concurring  in 
Dodge's  opinion,  regarded  that  Doty  was 
bound  to  settle  with  the  legislative  authori 
ties  of  the  Territory.  The  refunding  of  the 
balance  of  $1758.28  to  the  United  States 
Treasury  they  could  only  attribute  "to  some 
error  of  judgment  or  misconception."226 

Governor  Doty  had  charted  out  a  stormy 
course  for  himself.  When  the  Fourth 
Legislative  Assembly  convened  on  Decem 
ber  5,  1842,  the  Governor  declared  that 
the  session  was  unauthorized  by  law, 
unprovided  for  by  any  Congressional  ap 
propriations,  and  illegal.  He  had,  there 
fore,  no  communication  to  make  to  them. 
The  warfare  between  the  Governor  and  the 


DELEGATE  TO  CONGRESS  167 

Legislative  Assembly  now  reached  its  most 
acute  stage.  A  memorial  was  prepared  by 
that  body  which  was  sent  to  President  Tyler : 
it  was  set  forth  that  the  Governor  had  re 
fused  his  cooperation;  he  had  suspended 
legislative  functions  and  was  attempting  to 
concentrate  all  power  in  the  executive  office. 
His  Excellency  John  Tyler  was,  therefore, 
requested  to  remove  James  D.  Doty  from  the 
office  of  Governor  of  the  Territory  of  Wis 
consin,  i 

Moses  M.  Strong,  the  President  of  the 
Council,  also  took  up  arms  against  this  sea 
of  troubles  by  addressing,  on  December  12, 
1842,  a  seven-page  letter  to  Delegate  Henry 
Dodge.  The  contest  between  the  legislature 
and  Doty  was  explained.  His  "  anarchical 
position"  should  be  cause  enough  for  his 
removal ;  and  so  Mr.  Strong  begged  the  Dele 
gate  to  present  all  the  facts  to  the  President 
and  urge  his  removal  from  office.227 

Delegate  Dodge  complied  with  Mr. 
Strong's  request.  In  his  official  letter  of 
February  14, 1843,  he  requested  the  removal 
of  Doty  from  office  and  assigned  numerous 
reasons  for  the  request.  He  had  violated  the 
laws  of  the  United  States  and  of  the  Terri 
tory  by  refusing  to  cooperate  with  the  Legis- 


168  HENRY  DODGE 

lative  Assembly ;  his  career  on  the  board  of 
commissioners  for  the  erection  of  the  public 
buildings  was  held  up  to  reproach;  he  had 
procured,  contrary  to  law,  the  appointment 
of  his  son,  a  minor,  to  lucrative  offices ;  non- 
partisan  petitions  from  Wisconsin  Terri 
tory  had  urged  his  removal;  and  the  Dele 
gate  closed  by  saying  "that  the  history  of 
the  present  Governor  of  this  Territory  is  a 
history  of  repeated  injuries  and  usur 
pations,  all  having  in  direct  object  the  estab 
lishment  of  an  absolute  tyranny  over  the 
people  of  Wisconsin." 

In  telling  the  story  of  this  historic  contro 
versy  Moses  M.  Strong  tersely  concludes 
with  these  words : '  '  The  Governor  was  not  re 
moved  by  the  President."228 

During  Henry  Dodge's  two  terms  as  Dele 
gate  not  a  great  deal  was  accomplished  to 
ward  the  obtainment  of  congressional  appro 
priations  for  fostering  and  promoting  pub 
lic  improvements  within  the  Territory  of 
Wisconsin.  Indeed,  little  was  secured  for 
the  Territory  beyond  the  regular  contingent 
expenses ;  so  that  his  efforts  do  not  measure 
up  in  their  results  with  those  of  his  son, 
Augustus  Caesar  Dodge,  in  obtaining  ap 
propriations  for  the  Territory  of  Iowa. 


DELEGATE  TO  CONGRESS  169 

Neither  the  discordant  factions  in  Wis 
consin  nor  the  quarrel  between  the  Governor 
and  the  Legislative  Assembly  were  con 
ducive  to  arousing  in  Congress  a  liberal  atti 
tude  toward  the  young  Territory  of  Wiscon 
sin.  Writing  to  George  W.  Jones  on  June 
14,  1842,  Henry  Dodge  said;— " You  have 
Never  Seen  Such  a  Body  of  Men  Convened 
as  the  present  Members  of  the  House  of 
Representatives.  Bitter  and  Vindictive  as 
they  Can  be  Towards  Each  other  &  but 
Little  of  that  Courtesy  Necessary  in  Legis 
lative  Bodies,  the  Whigs  are  divided  and 
Cut  to  pieces  Among  themselves  Many  of 
them  exceedingly  hostile  to  Tyler  and  to  tell 
you  my  Opinion  their  Appears  to  be  with 
the  Heads  of  the  Departments  a  great  de 
ficiency  of  Practical  Knowledge  to  enable 
them  to  administer  the  Govt[.]  I  have  been 
for  Six  Months  using  all  the  Means  in  My 
power  to  get  the  Money  Appropriated  last 
March  a  year  Ago  Sent  to  the  Territory".229 

The  largest  appropriation  secured  by 
Henry  Dodge  for  public  improvements  was 
the  sum  of  $10,000,  granted  by  the  act  of 
March  3,  1845.  Of  this  sum  $3000  was  to  be 
expended  for  the  construction  of  a  road 
from  Sheboygan  to  the  Fox  River;  $2000 


170  HENRY  DODGE 

for  the  repair  of  a  road  from  Fort  Howard 
to  Fond  du  Lac ;  and  the  balance  was  to  be 
used  in  improving  the  road  from  Southport 
to  Beloit.230 

A  proposition  to  disband  the  second  regi 
ment  of  Dragoons,  which  was  under  con 
sideration  in  the  House  on  March  26,  1844, 
stimulated  an  intelligent  protest  from  their 
former  Colonel.231  He  warmly  contended 
for  the  protection  and  defense  of  the 
frontier  and  caused  several  letters  to  be  read 
by  the  Clerk  in  which  were  set  forth  the 
dangers  to  which  the  residents  of  the  frontier 
were  exposed.  The  remounting  of  this  regi 
ment  he  deemed  but  justice  to  the  western 
people  on  whose  borders  the  government  had 
placed  so  many  warlike  Indian  tribes.  He 
enumerated  the  western  forts  and  the  troops 
employed  in  their  defense,  and  showed  the 
inefficiency  of  the  force  there  employed. 

This  speech  elicited  an  explanation  from 
John  Quincy  Adams,  the  mover  of  the 
amendment,  who  declared  that  he  had  no  dis 
position  to  strike  a  blow  at  the  regiment  of 
Dragoons.  His  purpose  had  been  merely  to 
test  the  question  of  increase  or  decrease  of 
appropriations.  In  view  of  Dodge's  speech 
Adams  then  withdrew  his  amendment. 


DELEGATE  TO  CONGRESS  171 

One  of  Delegate  Henry  Dodge's  last  ef 
forts  in  the  House  was  his  unsuccessful  at 
tempt  on  February  21,  1845,  to  dissuade 
Congress  from  reducing  the  appropriation 
for  the  legislative  expenses  of  his  Terri 
tory.232  The  Committee  on  Ways  and  Means 
had  reported  $3529  less  than  the  estimated 
amount  made  by  the  Governor  and  the  Sec 
retary  of  the  Treasury.  Why  this  differ 
ence,  inquired  the  Delegate.  The  population 
of  the  Territory  is  increasing  and  the  neces 
sity  of  legislation  will  increase  in  proportion 
to  its  numbers.  Millions  of  dollars  had  been 
paid  into  the  treasury  by  his  constituents  for 
public  lands.  If  the  state  of  the  treasury  is 
such  that  it  is  necessary  to  retrench  in  the 
legislative  expenditures  of  the  Territory  of 
Wisconsin,  let  the  pruning-knif  e  be  applied 
to  the  salaries  of  the  Governor,  Secretary, 
and  Judges.  Eeduce  the  per  diem  or  the 
mileage  of  the  Delegate  to  Congress  from 
that  Territory ;  but  do  not  deprive  the  people 
of  the  means  of  making  laws  for  their  gov 
ernment. 


XIII 

GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  TERRITORY 

1845-1848 

HENRY  DODGE  was  a  beneficiary  as  well  as 
a  victim  of  the  surging  democracy  which 
characterized  the  decades  from  1830  to  1850. 
Political  removals  and  appointments  more 
than  kept  pace  with  the  changes  in  political 
complexion  at  Washington;  and  the  Terri 
tories  sometimes  gained  and  sometimes  lost 
in  administrative  efficiency  from  these  in 
termittent  changes.  Since  his  removal 
from  the  Governorship  in  1841  Henry  Dodge 
had  been  gaining  legislative  and  political  ex 
perience  in  Congress,  but  the  election  of 
President  Polk  in  1844  insured  the  reap- 
pointment  of  a  Democratic  Governor  for  the 
Territory  of  Wisconsin.  Accordingly,  in 
May,  1845,  Henry  Dodge  resumed  the  duties 
of  the  office  from  which  he  had  been  removed 
four  years  before.233 

President  Polk's  diary  is  an  interesting 
though    unintentional    comment    upon    the 

172 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1845-1848   173 

partisanship  that  marked  executive  appoint 
ments  for  the  Territories  for  these  two 
decades.234  Ex-Governor  Tallmadge  on 
October  14,  1845,  held  an  extended  confer 
ence  with  President  Polk  over  his  removal 
from  the  office  of  Governor.  ' '  Gov.  Dodge ' ', 
runs  Polk's  record  of  the  interview  in  which 
the  reasons  for  the  change  had  been  dis 
cussed,  "was  a  Pioneer  of  the  West  and  an 
old  Indian  fighter,  a  man  of  high  character 
.  .  .  .  wTho  had  been  removed  from  the 
office  of  Governor  by  the  late  administration 
and  Mr.  Dotey  appointed  on  political 
grounds  solely ;  that  from  the  papers  before 
him,  including  the  recommendation  of  the 
Legislative  Assembly,  it  appeared  to  be  the 
popular  sentiment  of  the  Democracy  in  Wis 
consin  that  justice  should  be  done  him  by  re 
storing  him  to  the  office  from  which  he  had 
been  removed  without  cause." 

The  President  insisted  that  he  had  not 
acted  with  any  feeling  of  hostility  in  re 
moving  Tallmadge  and  restoring  Dodge. 
"He  said  also",  continues  the  Polk  diary, 
"that  the  people  of  the  Territories  had  made 
serious  objections  to  the  practice  of  appoint 
ing  persons  from  the  states  to  offices  within 
their  boundaries,  and  that  he  had  said  to  the 


174  HENRY  DODGE 

Delegates  in  Congress  that  lie  would  not  do 
so,  but  would  when  he  could  find  proper  men, 
appoint  citizens  of  the  Territories  to  the 
offices  within  their  limits.  .  .  .  The 
President  stated  that  Gov.  Dodge  had  him 
self  acted  modestly  in  the  matter ;  that  he  de 
sired  to  be  restored,  but  had  said  nothing  to 
him  to  the  disparagement  of  Gov.  Tall- 
madge." 

Early  in  May  of  1845  Henry  Dodge  had 
returned  from  Washington  to  his  home  near 
Mineral  Point.  On  the  5th  of  the  next  June 
a  public  dinner  was  tendered  him  by  his 
neighbors,  friends,  and  former  battle-mates 
without  distinction  of  party.  The  Mineral 
Point  Dragoons  under  Captain  John  F. 
OTSTeill  escorted  their  prominent  fellow- 
townsman  from  his  residence  to  the  town  of 
Mineral  Point.  Bands,  toasts,  processions, 
and  a  speech  by  Moses  M.  Strong  marked 
the  occasion,  and  the  festivities  of  the  day 
were  concluded  by  a  merry  ball  at  the  court 
house  in  the  evening.235  Henry  Dodge  was 
still  one  of  the  common  people  and  such  a 
reception  was  regarded  as  a  happy  omen  for 
a  harmonious  administration  of  the  govern 
ment  of  the  Territory. 

When  the  Fourth  Legislative  Assembly 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1845-1848  175 

of  the  Territory  convened  at  Madison  on 
January  5,  1846,  Governor  Dodge  recog 
nized  several  co-workers  of  his  former  ad 
ministration.  Among  the  twenty-six  Repre 
sentatives  he  saw  Thomas  Cruson;  while 
among  the  thirteen  members  of  the  Council 
he  remembered  Nelson  Dewey,  John  H. 
Roundtree,  and  Edward  V.  Whiton.236 

On  the  second  day  the  Governor  appeared 
before  the  two  chambers  assembled  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  and  delivered  his 
annual  message.237  At  the  outset  he  urged  a 
revision  of  the  then  existing  laws  relating 
to  the  common  schools,  which  he  regarded  as 
fundamental  to  the  elective  franchise  and 
to  the  permanency  of  representative  govern 
ment.  The  Territorial  debt  should  be 
promptly  paid,  which  would  give  standing 
to  the  credit  of  the  Territory.  The  lack  of 
a  penitentiary  was  also  pointed  out.  The 
Territory  wras  forced  to  confine  its  criminals 
in  county  jails  at  an  expense  which  would 
almost  build  a  penitentiary.  The  reforma 
tion  of  criminals,  he  argued,  is  not  possible 
in  the  county  jails;  and  so  the  Legislative 
Assembly  was  urged  to  memorialize  Con 
gress  upon  the  subject  of  a  penitentiary  for 
the  Territory. 


176  HENRY  DODGE 

Another  memorial,  he  urged,  should  be  ad 
dressed  to  Congress  upon  the  subject  of  the 
lead  and  other  mineral  lands  in  the  Terri 
tory.  The  system  of  leasing  to  tenants  by 
the  government  he  regarded  as  fruitful  of 
litigation,  expensive  and  harassing  to  the 
people  of  the  Territory,  and  unprofitable  to 
the  government  itself.  The  system  made  the 
tenants  dependent  upon  the  agents  of  the 
government  while  the  rent  operated  as  a  di 
rect  tax  or  tribute  upon  labor.  A  system  of 
sales  with  preemption  rights  would  seem  to 
be  a  better  policy. 

Congress  should  also  be  urged  to  grant 
additional  appropriations  and  other  im 
provements  to  navigation.  Upon  the  four 
hundred  miles  of  coast  line  of  Lake  Michi 
gan  commerce  had  grown  enormously. 
More  harbors  upon  this  coast  would  serve  as 
a  war  protection  for  the  landing  of  troops. 
The  removal  of  obstructions  in  the  Missis 
sippi  River  would  be  beneficial  to  Iowa  and 
Illinois  as  well  as  to  the  Territory  of  Wis 
consin.  The  construction  of  a  water  route 
between  the  Fox  and  the  Wisconsin  rivers 
at  the  Portage  would  be  a  national  improve 
ment  and  would  increase  both  trade  and 
population.  The  improvement  of  the  navi- 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1845-1848  177 

gation  of  Rock  River  would  also  be  of  large 
importance  to  the  Territory. 

Military  matters  also  were  discussed  in 
the  message.  The  Territory  was  entitled  to 
six  hundred  stands  of  arms  and  equipments 
from  the  government ;  and  the  militia  should 
be  organized,  officered,  mustered,  and  their 
arms  annually  inspected.  The  law-makers 
were  also  urged  to  memorialize  the  Secre 
tary  of  War  to  send  a  company  of  Dragoons 
to  either  Fort  Crawford  or  to  Fort  Winne- 
bago  to  insure  the  peace  and  quiet  of  the 
Winnebago  Indians. 

This  session  of  the  Assembly  was  quite 
prolific  in  legislation.  New  counties  were 
created,  and  township  government  was  fur 
ther  inaugurated.  Judicial  districts  were 
established ;  many  towns  were  created ;  Mil 
waukee  was  incorporated  as  a  city;  and 
Beloit  College  was  incorporated  by  a  special 
act.  Territorial  roads  were  authorized  by 
special  laws  and  the  construction  of  dams 
was  ordered.  Laws  upon  divorce  were  en 
acted;  and  many  memorials  were  sent  to 
Congress.  Moreover,  numerous  nomina 
tions  to  office  were  made  by  Governor  Dodge, 
which  with  but  one  exception  were  confirmed 
by  the  Council  without  a  division.238 

12 


178  HENRY  DODGE 

Perhaps  the  most  important  law  signed 
by  Governor  Dodge  during  this  session  was 
the  bill  which  provided  for  the  submission 
to  the  people  of  the  question  of  the  forma 
tion  of  a  State  government.  The  vote  upon 
the  question  was  to  be  taken  upon  the  first 
Tuesday  in  April ;  and  in  case  of  a  favorable 
vote  the  Governor  was  directed  to  make  an 
apportionment  among  the  several  counties 
of  delegates  to  form  a  State  Constitution. 
The  Governor  was  further  directed  to  issue 
a  proclamation  declaring  the  apportion 
ment.  The  election  of  delegates  by  the 
people  was  set  for  the  first  Monday  of  Sep 
tember.  The  delegates  were  then  to  meet  at 
Madison  on  the  first  Monday  of  October  to 
form  a  republican  constitution,  which  should 
be  submitted  to  the  people  for  ratification 
or  rejection  in  such  manner  and  at  such  a 
time  as  the  convention  should  prescribe.239 

The  April  elections  showed  by  a  vote  of 
six  to  one  that  the  people  were  in  favor  of  a 
State  government  and  every  county  except 
Grant  gave  a  favorable  vote.  On  August 
1st  Governor  Dodge  issued  a  procla 
mation  which  apportioned  one  delegate  for 
every  thirteen  hundred  inhabitants.  No 
delegate  from  Chippewa  County  was  elected. 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1845-1848  179 

On  October  5,  1846,  ninety-five  of  the  one 
hundred  and  twenty-four  delegates  elected 
assembled  at  Madison  where  they  drew  up  a 
Constitution  and  adjourned  on  December 
16,  1846.  The  Constitution  was  to  be  voted 
upon  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  April  in  the 
following  year.240 

When  the  first  session  of  the  Fifth  Legis 
lative  Assembly  convened  Governor  Dodge 
(on  January  5,  1847)  discussed  in  his  mes 
sage241  the  probability  of  Statehood  and  enu 
merated  some  of  the  benefits  to  flow  there 
from.  Five  hundred  thousand  acres  would 
be  granted  to  the  State  by  the  Congressional 
act  of  September  4,  1841 ; 242  and  the  State 
would  also  receive  five  per  cent  of  the  net 
proceeds  of  the  sales  of  the  public  lands. 
Other  lands  would  be  granted  for  school  pur 
poses  and  for  a  university.  Furthermore, 
instead  of  a  single  Delegate,  the  State  would 
be  represented  at  Washington  by  three  Rep 
resentatives  and  two  Senators. 

His  Excellency  also  urged  that  a  joint 
committee  of  the  Legislative  Assembly  be 
appointed  to  ascertain  the  amount  of  indebt 
edness  of  the  Territory,  since  this  would 
probably  be  the  last  session  of  the  Terri 
torial  legislature.  Memorials  to  Congress 


180  HENRY  DODGE 

for  appropriations  for  harbors  at  Mil 
waukee,  Racine,  and  Southport  were  recom 
mended.  The  reorganization  of  the  militia 
and  its  officers  was  again  advised  as  a  mili 
tary  precaution  against  Indian  disturb 
ances.  And  in  this  connection  the  Governor 
stated  that,  in  the  previous  May,  Secretary 
of  War  Marcy  had  requested  him  to  raise  a 
regiment  of  volunteer  infantry.  But  the 
withdrawal  of  the  regular  troops  from  Port 
Crawford  having  induced  the  citizens  to  be 
lieve  that  the  volunteers  should  take  the 
place  of  the  regulars  at  Port  Crawford,  the 
county  of  Crawford  responded  with  a  com 
pany  of  men  which  had  accordingly  been  ac 
cepted  for  duty  at  that  fort. 

At  this  session  of  the  Legislative  Assembly 
the  incorporation  of  railroads  occupied 
much  of  the  time  of  the  law-makers.  A 
number  of  laws  were  passed  authorizing  the 
construction  of  dams.  Laws  were  also  en 
acted  to  regulate  the  liquor  traffic.  A  large 
amount  of  legislation  related  to  the  creation 
of  new  counties,  the  organization  of  others 
previously  created,  the  incorporation  of 
seminaries  and  new  towns,  and  the  estab 
lishment  of  county  seats.  A  large  number  of 
memorials  were  also  sent  to  Congress.243 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1845-1848  181 

Meanwhile  war  had  been  declared  upon 
the  Constitution  which  was  to  be  voted  upon 
in  April.  Before  its  adoption  by  the  Con 
vention  it  had  been  attacked,  and  in  both  the 
Council  and  the  House  of  Representatives 
arguments  against  it  had  been  sounded. 
Moreover,  newspapers  and  public  speakers 
expressed  their  protests  against  it  without 
reservation.  The  campaign  was  something 
of  a  repetition  of  the  one  which  had  taken 
place  in  the  Territory  of  Iowa,  except  that  in 
Wisconsin  party  lines  were  not  strictly 
drawn. 

Many  Whigs  objected  to  the  restrictions 
upon  banking  and  bank  circulation.  The 
provisions  on  the  rights  of  married  women 
and  exemption  from  forced  sale  were  the 
object  of  vigorous  attacks.  The  numerous- 
ness  of  the  legislature  was  also  declared  to 
be  objectionable;  and  the  provision  for  an 
elective  judiciary  was  criticised.  The  advo 
cates  of  the  instrument  were  diligent  in 
meeting  these  objections  and  in  pointing  out 
its  excellencies  and  its  really  progressive 
features. 

By  the  decisive  vote  of  20,231  to  14,119 
the  Constitution  went  down  to  defeat  at  the 
April  elections.  Governor  Dodge,  on  Sep- 


182  HENRY  DODGE 

tember  27,  1847,  issued  a  proclamation  con 
vening  the  Legislative  Assembly  in  extra 
session  at  Madison  on  October  18th.  In  his 
brief  message  he  limited  himself  to  recom 
mending  such  action  as  would  secure  the  ad 
mission  of  the  Territory  to  Statehood.  He 
was  in  favor  of  an  early  admission  so  that 
the  State  could  vote  in  the  coming  presi 
dential  election,  and  he  again  enumerated 
the  benefits  to  flow  from  an  early  formation 
of  a  State  government. 

Again  the  whole  machinery  for  securing 
the  adoption  of  a  State  constitution  was  put 
in  motion.  A  bill  was  quickly  passed  which 
provided  for  an  election  on  November  29th 
of  sixty-nine  delegates,  who  were  to  assem 
ble  at  Madison  on  December  15th  and  there 
form  a  new  constitution.  The  Constitutional 
Convention  completed  its  labors  and  ad 
journed  on  February  1,  1848.  The  vote  was 
to  be  taken  on  March  13,  1848 ;  and  on  that 
date  the  instrument  was  adopted  by  a  vote 
of  16,797  to  6,383.244 

Confident  of  the  adoption  of  the  new  Con 
stitution,  Governor  Dodge  had  not  deemed 
it  proper  to  submit  any  subjects  of  legisla 
tion  when  the  second  session  of  the  Fifth 
Legislative  Assembly  convened  on  February 


GOVERNOR  OF  WISCONSIN  1845-1848  183 

7,  1848.  It  would  best  accord  with  the 
wishes  of  the  people,  he  urged,  to  enact  at 
this  session  as  few  laws  as  possible.245 

"The  existing  war  between  the  United 
States  and  Mexico",  said  the  Governor  in 
his  message,  "has  furnished  a  brilliant  page 
in  our  nation's  history.  .  .  .  The  Presi 
dent  in  the  firm  discharge  of  the  high  duties 
that  have  devolved  upon  him  in  the  prosecu 
tion  of  the  Mexican  war,  is  entitled  to  the 
thanks  of  every  true  American,  and  the  last 
ing  gratitude  of  his  country."  The  memory 
of  Captain  Augustus  Quarles  who  fell  before 
the  City  of  Mexico  "will  long  be  cherished 
by  the  grateful  people  of  Wisconsin." 

With  the  final  act  for  the  admission  of 
Wisconsin  into  the  Union,  which  was  ap 
proved  on  May  29,  1848,246  the  career  of 
Henry  Dodge  as  a  Territorial  executive  and 
administrator  ends.  The  three  years  of  his 
governorship  are  replete  with  progress  and 
represent  the  last  strides  of  the  Territory  in 
the  movement  toward  Statehood.  From  the 
Old  Northwest  Territory  the  Commonwealth 
of  Wisconsin  emerges  as  the  last  of  its  quin 
tet  of  States247 — the  culmination  and  the 
realization  of  the  political  ideals  which  had 
been  formulated  by  the  Congress  of  the 


184  HENRY  DODGE 

Confederation  more  than  sixty  years  before. 
Henry  Dodge  represents  the  last  link  in  the 
long  chain  of  Territorial  Governors248  who 
contributed  to  this  evolution  —  an  evolution 
which  fused  the  Old  Northwest  with  an  in 
dissoluble  union  of  States.249 


XIV 

UNITED  STATES  SENATOR 

THE  highest  office  in  the  gift  of  the  people 
of  Wisconsin  was  now  bestowed  upon  Henry 
Dodge  for  his  long  and  conscientious  service 
to  the  Territory.  Against  Edward  V. 
Whiton  and  Alexander  L.  Collins,  Isaac 
P.  Walker  and  Henry  Dodge  (Democrats) 
were  elected  on  June  8,  1848,  as  the  first 
United  States  Senators  from  the  new  State 
of  Wisconsin.250  It  was  Senator  Benton 
who  presented  the  credentials  of  Henry 
Dodge.  On  June  23,  1848,  he  took  his  seat 
in  the  first  session  of  the  Thirtieth  Con 
gress251  and  was  assigned  to  the  class  of 
Senators  whose  terms  expired  in  1851. 

Meanwhile  political  nominating  conven 
tions  had  begun  to  discuss  Dodge's  military 
and  official  records.  A  Barnburners  Con 
vention,  composed  of  the  friends  of  Van 
Buren,  met  at  Utica,  New  York,  on  June  22, 
1848,  and  nominated  Martin  Van  Buren  for 
President  and  Henry  Dodge  for  Vice  Presi- 

185 


186  HENRY  DODGE 

dent.  Senator  Dodge,  however,  declined  the 
honor252 —  proud  though  he  would  be,  as  he 
said,  to  have  his  name  under  other  circum 
stances  associated  with  that  of  Van  Buren. 
In  the  next  August  the  first  National  Free 
Soil  Convention  at  Buffalo,  composed  of 
Barnburners,  Liberty  men,  and  Anti-slavery 
Whigs,  indorsed  Van  Buren  for  President 
and  nominated  Charles  Francis  Adams  (the 
son  of  Henry  Dodge's  former  colleague  in 
the  House)  for  Vice  President.253 

Henry  Dodge's  senatorial  career  covered 
a  period  of  nearly  nine  years.  Perhaps  the 
Senate  has  never  since  contained  a  more  re 
markable  group  of  men  than  served  the 
country  during  his  two  terms.  Webster, 
Calhoun,  and  Clay  (at  whose  funeral  Sena 
tor  Dodge  was  a  pall-bearer)254  were  about 
to  inaugurate  the  golden  age  of  American 
eloquence.  Senator  Cass  he  recalled  as  the 
Governor  of  Michigan  Territory  just  before 
the  opening  of  the  Black  Hawk  War. 
Stephen  Arnold  Douglas  represented  the 
State  in  which  Dodge  had  helped  to  sup 
press  the  Winnebago  War  in  1827.  And 
many  years  before  Senator  Jefferson  Davis 
had  served  in  Colonel  Dodge's  regiment  of 
Dragoons. 


UNITED  STATES  SENATOR  187 

His  closest  friend  in  the  Senate  was 
Thomas  H.  Benton,  whom  he  had  known  and 
admired  for  thirty-five  years  and  whom  he 
consulted  often  on  questions  of  a  public 
nature.  A  bitter  personal  debate  between 
Senators  Henry  S.  Foote  and  Thomas  H. 
Benton  on  April  17,  1850,  almost  resulted 
fatally.  Benton  had  advanced  toward 
Foote,  who  then  drew  a  pistol.  Henry 
Dodge  now  sprang  to  his  feet  and  arrested 
his  friend  from  Missouri,  who  amid  the  con 
fusion  exclaimed  from  time  to  time :  "I  have 
no  pistols ! "  "  Let  him  fire ! "  "  Stand  out  of 
the  way!"  "I  have  no  pistols!"  "I  dis 
dain  to  carry  arms!"  Meanwhile  the  ex 
cited  Senator  from  Missouri  had  been 
brought  back  to  his  seat ;  but,  breaking  away 
from  Senator  Dodge  he  again  advanced  to 
ward  Foote,  who  at  this  time  was  standing 
near  the  Vice  President's  chair.  .Senator 
Daniel  S.  Dickinson  now  induced  Foote  to 
surrender  the  weapon  which  he  locked  up  in 
his  seat. 

"I  am  certain  these  things  should  be 
stopped",  said  Senator  Dodge  when  matters 
had  somewhat  cooled.  "The  Senate  of  the 
United  States  has  heretofore  been  con 
sidered  as  one  of  the  most  dignified  and 


188  HENRY  DODGE 

decorous  legislative  bodies  of  men  in  the 
world,  and  we  owe  it  to  ourselves  to  vindi 
cate  the  Senate  from  the  disrepute,  so  far 
as  it  can  be  done,  which  attaches  to  it  in  con 
sequence  of  a  scene  like  this."255  On  the 
same  day  the  Senate,  on  Dodge's  motion, 
ordered  the  appointment  of  a  committee  of 
seven  to  investigate  and  report  on  the  facts 
of  the  recent  disorder.  Senator  Dodge  was 
appointed  chairman  of  this  committee,  but 
on  the  next  day  declined  to  serve.256 

One  of  his  earliest  votes  in  the  Senate  was 
in  favor  of  extending  the  slavery  prohibition 
of  the  Old  Northwest  Ordinance  over  the 
Territory  of  Oregon257 — a  political  legacy 
which  his  own  State  of  Wisconsin  had  en 
joyed.  In  the  legislation  of  1850  he  sup 
ported  the  bills  for  the  admission  of  Cali 
fornia  and  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave 
trade  in  the  District  of  Columbia ;  while  his 
vote  stands  recorded  against  the  Utah  and 
New  Mexico  Bill,  the  Texas  Boundary  Bill, 
and  the  Fugitive  Slave  Bill.258 

In  his  vote  on  the  Compromise  measures 
he  was  scrupulously  honest  and  obedient  to 
his  constituents.  During  the  debates  and 
legislation  on  these  measures  the  Wisconsin 
Senators  were  instructed  by  a  resolution  of 


UNITED  STATES  SENATOR  189 

their  legislature  to  vote  against  a  clause  in 
a  bill  applying  to  California,  which  was  con 
strued     as     admitting     slavery.       Senator 
Walker,  however,  disregarded  his  instruc 
tions  and  voted  for  the  measure.     Senator 
Dodge,  rising  from  a  sick-bed,  had  himself 
carried  to  the  Senate  chamber  when  the  vote 
was  to  be  taken.    When  his  name  was  called 
he  requested  the  Clerk  to  read  the  instruc 
tions  from  the  legislature  of  Wisconsin  to 
her    Senators.     When   the    Clerk   finished 
reading  he  firmly  voted  i  l  Nay ' '.    This  action  \ 
was  looked  upon  as  a  stinging  rebuke  to  ) 
Walker,  whose  action  retired  him  from  the  I 
confidence  and  esteem  of  the  people  of  Wis-/ 
consin.259 

Henry  Dodge  saw  the  population  of  his 
State  more  than  double  during  his  senatorial 
terms.  From  a  new  and  growing  State  he 
presented  petitions  and  memorials  from  his 
constituents.  New  mail  routes  were  desired ; 
railroad  land-grants  were  requested;  and 
applications  for  pensions  for  service  in  the 
Black  Hawk  War  were  presented  in  large 
numbers.  Memorials  from  Indian  tribes 
were  sent  him;  while  other  petitions  dealt 
with  such  matters  as  the  saline  lands,  min 
eral  lands,  the  improvement  of  the  naviga- 


190  HENRY  DODGE      . 

tion  of  rivers,  and  the  construction  of 
harbors. 

Senator  Dodge  served  faithfully  upon  the 
Committee  on  Commerce  as  well  as  on  the 
Committee  on  the  Militia  —  for  the  latter  of 
which  he  possessed  superior  qualifications. 
The  improvement  of  the  Pox  and  Wisconsin 
rivers  was  a  subject  which  absorbed  much  of 
his  time  and  interest.  This  improvement 
was  to  connect  the  Mississippi  and  the  St. 
Lawrence  rivers.  "In  a  military  point  of 
view",  he  said,  "I  have  ever  regarded  it  as 
adding  to  the  means  of  defense  and  protec 
tion  of  that  portion  of  the  frontier 

It  will  enhance  the  value  of  the  public  do 
main,  and  enable  this  Government  to  sell 
millions  of  acres  which  it  could  not  other 
wise  dispose  of."260 

On  January  20,  1850,  Henry  Dodge  was 
reflected  United  States  Senator  against 
James  D.  Doty  for  the  full  term  of  six  years 
from  March  4, 1851.  This  election,  in  which 
the  vote  stood  sixty-nine  to  seven,  was 
Dodge's  last  contest  with  his  old  time  Whig 
rival.261 

To  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Bill  he  could  not 
give  his  assent  and  his  vote  with  those  of 
Senators  Chase,  Seward,  Sumner,  and  Wade 


UNITED  STATES  SENATOR  191 

is  recorded  against  the  measure.  The  vote, 
however,  of  Augustus  Caesar  Dodge,  his  son, 
who  had  sat  with  him  in  the  Senate  since 
December,  1848,  was  cast  in  favor  of  the  bill, 
along  with  those  of  Senators  Douglas  and 
Cass.262 

When  the  debate  over  the  question  con 
cerning  the  admission  of  Kansas  was  raging 
in  1856,  Senator  Henry  Dodge  rose  to  make 
an  explanation.  "I  have  heretofore  voted 
against  the  extension  of  slavery  under  the 
instructions  of  my  Legislature",  he  said. 
"I  shall  continue  to  do  so.  Although  I  have 
seen  much  to  approve  in  the  bill  reported  by 
the  Committee  on  Territories,  and  really 
think  it  is  well  calculated  to  give  peace  to  the 
people  of  Kansas,  I  shall  vote  against  it ;  for 
as  long  as  I  represent  the  people  of  Wiscon 
sin,  and  as  long  as  their  Legislature,  which 
sends  me  here,  instructs  me,  as  it  has  done 
ever  since  I  have  been  a  member  of  this  body, 
for  eight  years,  I  feel  bound  to  conform  my 
action  to  their  instructions,  or  resign  my 
position.  I  shall  vote  against  the  bill."263 

Neither  the  historian  nor  the  eulogist  can 
find  in  Dodge's  career  as  a  United  States 
Senator  a  subject  for  extended  treatment. 
No  great  compromises  or  statutes  are  linked 


192  HENRY  DODGE 

with  Ms  name;  and  Ms  longest  speeches  as 
preserved  in  the  Congressional  Globe  do  not 
occupy  a  full  column.  His  training  and  tal 
ents  fitted  him  for  military  life  and  adminis 
tration  rather  than  for  the  more  abstract 
work  of  statesmanship  and  legislation.  He 
cannot  be  given  rank  as  a  great  Senator ;  he 
belongs  rather  to  that  class  of  Senators  who 
are  industrious  and  capable,  and  who  have 
regard  for  their  oath  of  office  in  which  they 
promise  to  perform  their  duties  to  the  best 
of  their  abilities. 


XV 

CHARACTER  AND  SERVICES 

WHEN  Henry  Dodge  retired  from  the 
United  States  Senate  in  1857  he  was  an  old 
man.  President  Pierce  had  offered  him  the 
governorship  of  Washington  Territory ;  but 
this  honor  he  declined,264  feeling  that  the 
labors  of  war  and  the  burdens  of  peace  for 
seventy-five  years  entitled  him  to  spend  the 
evening  of  his  days  in  rest  and  retirement. 
The  last  years  of  his  life  find  him  at  his  old 
home  in  Wisconsin  and  at  the  home  of  his 
son  Augustus  Caesar  in  Burlington,  Iowa. 

The  nation  which  he  had  served  in  arms 
and  in  administration  he  saw  pass  through 
its  last  crisis  —  the  end  of  secession  and  of 
slavery  —  out  of  which  emerged  the  inde 
structible  union  of  States.  In  1865  Christi 
ana  Dodge,  his  wife  and  companion  for 
sixty-five  years,  died  at  Burlington.265  Two 
years  later  on  the  19th  of  June,  1867,  Colonel 
Henry  Dodge  died  at  Burlington  in  the 
eighty-fifth  year  of  his  age. 

13  193 


194  HENRY  DODGE 

Considering  the  career  of  Henry  Dodge 
in  its  length,  extent,  and  character  one  can 
see  a  blending  of  many  characteristics  - 
from  those  of  a  hard-working  pioneer  to 
those  of  a  member  of  the  upper  branch  of 
Congress.  To  a  considerable  extent,  there 
fore,  his  personal,  civil,  and  military  career 
discloses  a  cross-sectional  view  of  life  in  the 
West  in  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  cen 
tury. 

From  his  long  out-door  life  and  his  mili 
tary  experience  Colonel  Dodge  acquired  an 
erect,  soldier-like  carriage  and  bearing  as 
well  as  a  strong,  healthy  constitution.  "I 
was  introduced  to  him  at  Hd.  Qrs.  yester 
day",  wrote  an  observer  in  1832.  "He  is 
perhaps  forty  years  old  —  about  5  feet  8  or 
9  inches  high  —  strong  framed  —  with 
rather  pleasing  features,  indicating  decision 
of  character  without  severity  -  He  is  said 
to  possess  great  personal  bravery".266 

Experience  and  latent  ability  somewhat 
compensated  for  his  almost  total  lack  of  an 
early  academic  education.  His  letters  and 
public  papers,  though  somewhat  chaotic  in 
their  punctuation  and  frequently  phonetic 
in  their  spelling,  exhibit,  nevertheless,  a 
clearness  and  directness  of  stvle.  No  one 


CHARACTER  AND  SERVICES          195 

can  read  his  gubernatorial  messages,  his 
military  orders,  or  his  speeches  without  feel 
ing  that  the  author  of  them  had  a  mind  which 
composed  with  logic,  directness,  and  pur 
pose. 

Among  the  positive  elements  of  his  char 
acter  may  be  mentioned  his  personal  and  of 
ficial  integrity,  which  in  a  long  period  of 
service  and  in  a  very  partisan  era  seems 
never  to  have  been  impeached.  Firmness 
and  fidelity  of  purpose,  as  well  as  a  capacity 
to  work  constantly  toward  a  goal,  is  well 
shown  in  his  Indian  campaigns.  His  power 
to  judge  of  the  usefulness  and  the  capacity 
of  others  contributed  largely  to  the  success 
of  his  administrative  appointments.  A  self- 
confidence,  sometimes  bordering  on  egotism, 
gave  considerable  propulsion  to  his  conduct ; 
while  in  his  military  experience  there  are 
many  instances  of  his  tact  and  ability  for 
leadership. 

Toned  and  tempered  in  the  atmosphere 
of  Jacksonian  Democracy,  Henry  Dodge's 
stock  of  political  ideas  offers  comparisons 
and  contrasts  to  those  of  the  representative 
of  that  popular  movement.  Faith  in  the 
West  and  in  its  people  and  an  intuitive 
knowledge  of  their  needs  contributed  to  his 


196  HENRY  DODGE 

success  as  a  public  man.  Precise  conclusions 
and  even  definiteness  are  lacking  in  his  atti 
tude  toward  the  great  questions  of  the  tariff, 
public  improvements,  currency,  and  bank 
ing.  His  comparative  freedom  from  parti 
sanship  and  his  harmonious  relations  with 
his  co-workers  present,  however,  a  striking 
contrast  to  the  spoils  system  and  to  the  many 
political  quarrels  of  the  Jacksonian  reign. 

Intimate  personal  and  political  relations 
with  Senator  Benton  since  1815  helped  to 
shape  the  Congressional  career  of  Henry 
Dodge.  A  common  devotion  to  the  needs 
and  the  ideals  of  the  West  and  to  Jacksonian 
principles  of  Democracy,  as  well  as  a  long 
residence  in  Missouri,  often  drew  the  two 
men  together.  Unlike  the  Missouri  states 
man,  however,  in  neither  education  nor 
temperament  was  Dodge  equipped  with  the 
liberal  horizon  or  the  power  of  scholarly  re 
search  for  attacking  the  problems  before  the 
American  Congress. 

Although  long  and  well  acquainted  with 
the  institution  in  Missouri,  slavery  had 
never  become  a  part  of  his  social  psychology. 
Some  of  his  slaves  in  Missouri  accompanied 
him  to  Illinois  and  to  Michigan  Territory 
and  there  remained  devoted  and  faithful 


CHARACTER  AND  SERVICES          197 

members  of  his  household.  And,  though  he 
had  no  direct  acquaintance  with  the  many 
repugnant  features  of  the  institution,  his 
views  on  the  subject  kept  pace  with  those  of 
the  people  of  Wisconsin.  His  vote,  for  ex 
ample,  on  the  Compromise  measures  and  the 
Kansas-Nebraska  Bill  was  in  accord  with 
the  wishes  of  his  constituents. 

At  Washington  his  services  neither  as  a 
Delegate  nor  as  a  Senator  disclose  in  Dodge 
any  special  capacity  for  or  application  to 
the  abstract  questions  of  statesmanship  and 
legislation.  Moreover,  it  does  not  appear 
that  Judge  Doty,  with  more  scholarly  tastes 
and  capacities,  was  the  equal  of  Dodge  in  the 
ability  to  handle  and  to  solve  the  more  con 
crete  questions  which  grew  out  of  a  pioneer 
environment.  Here  was  a  fitting  field  for 
Dodge  in  securing  lead-mining  rights,  In 
dian  treaties,  preemption  laws,  the  organ 
ization  of  the  militia,  protection  from 
Indian  dangers,  and  the  inauguration  of 
local  civil  governments.  These  labors  were 
beyond  question  attended  with  greater  re 
sults  than  were  his  efforts  in  Congress. 

Upon  the  Illinois  and  Wisconsin  frontiers 
Henry  Dodge,  like  thousands  of  other  set 
tlers  and  miners,  had  settled  upon  the  pub- 


198  HENRY  DODGE 

lie  domain  in  the  Indian  country  in  viola 
tion  of  Federal  laws  and  in  defiance  of 
marshals,  district  attorneys,  and  Indian 
agents.  His  son  in  referring  to  this  in  the 
Senate  in  1854  said :  "He  has  had  these  laws, 
with  the  proclamations  of  the  United  States 
officers,  read  to  himself  and  neighbors,  when 
upon  the  Indian  country  in  Wisconsin,  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  command 
ing  him  and  them  to  abandon  the  settlements 
they  had  made.  He  disregarded  the  man 
date  of  those  officers,  threw  up  a  stockade 
fort,  provided  himself  and  neighbors  with 
several  hundred  guns,  and  announced  that 
if  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  regular 
Army  desired  to  expel  him  they  could  come 
and  try  it."267 

Such  practices  —  impelled  of  course  by 
land-hunger  and  the  desire  for  mineral 
wealth  —  hardly  harmonize  with  Henry 
Dodge's  views  on  nullification.  Writing 
from  Washington  in  1833,  when  the  Tariff 
Bill  and  the  Force  Bill  were  creating  omi 
nous  threats,  he  said:  "If  a  state  can  set 
aside  a  law  of  the  Union,  our  existence  as  a 
federal  government,  would  be  of  short 
duration.  .  .  .  The  majority  must  rule,  and 
if  they  do  injustice  to  the  minority,  which  to 


CHAEACTER  AND  SERVICES          199 

be  sure  is  a  state  of  things  greatly  to  be  re 
gretted,  yet  it  would  be  a  safer  depository  of 
power,  than  to  permit  the  minority  to  dictate 
a  course  to  the  majority."268 

Henry  Dodge's  main  contributions  to 
western  development  and  State-building  are 
worked  out  in  his  careers  as  an  Indian  cam 
paigner  and  as  a  Territorial  executive.  It 
is  in  these  two  capacities  that  he  was  able  to 
apply  with  directness  and  marked  efficiency 
his  knowledge  of  and  experience  on  the  Mis 
sissippi  frontier.  Even  among  his  con 
temporaries  he  was  known  by  his  past  ex 
ecutive  and  military  titles  rather  than  by 
the  legislative  titles  that  he  had  borne.  The 
survival  of  the  title  " Governor"  is  at  least 
significant. 

Colonel  Dodge  never  participated  in  a  war 
with  a  foreign  power,  but  the  results  of  his 
Indian  campaigns  give  him  an  honored 
place  among  the  leaders  against  the  Red 
Men.  Here  his  knowledge  of  Indian  char 
acter  and  warfare  won  him  a  deserved  popu 
lar  confidence.  Waiving  technical  obstacles 
in  the  Black  Hawk  War  he  pursued  Black 
Hawk's  band  with  a  persistence  which  has 
tened  the  successful  close  of  that  conflict. 
Strict  in  discipline  and  tactful  in  his  deal- 


200  HENRY  DODGE 

ings  he  won  the  praise  of  his  superiors  for 
the  success  of  his  far  western  expeditions 
of  treaty-making  and  exploration. 

As  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs  his 
duties  were  not  so  arduous  as  were  those  of 
Governors  Lucas  and  Chambers  in  the 
neighboring  Territory  of  Iowa.  His  letters 
to  the  Commissioners  of  Indian  Affairs 
show  a  sound  knowledge  and  deep  interest 
in  such  subjects  as  annuities,  Indian  schools, 
agencies,  and  the  duties  of  Indian  Agents. 
His  activity  in  the  negotiation  of  Indian 
treaties  is  indicated  by  the  large  number  of 
compacts  upon  which  his  signature  stands 
appended  either  as  a  commissioner  or  as  a 
witness. 

It  is  in  the  eight  years  of  his  Governorship 
that  Henry  Dodge  reaches  the  zenith  of  his 
career  as  a  public  man.  To  this  office  he 
brought  a  record  of  long  and  efficient  mili 
tary  service,  a  wide  knowledge  of  frontier 
civilization,  and  ideas  adapted  to  its  increas 
ing  population  and  its  political  progress. 
Furthermore,  in  the  evolution  of  the  other 
Territories  of  the  Old  Northwest  and  in  the 
administrations  of  their  Governors  he  found 
and  made  use  of  organic  laws,  judicial  de 
cisions,  and  a  mass  of  legislation.  With 


CHARACTER  AND  SERVICES          201 

these  pointing  the  way  governing  became 
easier  and  surer. 

Without  any  profound  knowledge  or 
training  in  constitutional  forms  and  in  law- 
making,  Governor  Dodge  has  nevertheless 
left  his  impress  upon  Territorial  legislation. 
Seemingly  a  strict  constructionist  at  bottom, 
he  did  not  read  into  the  Organic  Act  a  liter- 
alness  which  would  render  it  incompatible 
with  his  own  notions  of  the  sphere  of  the 
executive  authority.  Inspired  by  the  ex 
ample  of  Andrew  Jackson,  Governor  Dodge 
did  not  hesitate  to  use  the  veto  power  with  a 
firm  and  efficient  hand.  From  the  beginning 
he  demonstrated  that  the  executive  was  an 
active  part  of  the  legislative  power.  A 
reading  of  his  messages  discloses  that  they 
served  as  real  and  effective  guides  to  the 
Territorial  legislature.  His  use  of  the  veto 
power  on  such  subjects  as  the  location  of 
county  seats,  county  boundaries,  and  upon 
bills  designed  to  promote  speculation  op 
erated  as  a  check  to  crude  and  unwise  legis 
lation.  Then  too,  a  personality  long  used  to 
command  was  bound  to  make  itself  felt  in 
legislative  leadership. 

With  his  rough-and-ready  common  sense 
Governor  Dodge's  administration  was  har- 


202  HENRY  DODGE 

monious.  The  pioneer  legislators,  coming  as 
they  did  from  various  sections  of  the  Union, 
representing  widely  separated  regions,  and 
bringing  with  them  diverse  and  often  con 
flicting  political  policies,  had  need  of  an  ex 
ecutive  who  could  harmonize  the  legislative 
machinery.  This  spirit  of  cooperation 
stands  in  marked  relief  to  the  discordant 
features  of  Governor  Doty's  administration 
which  was  perhaps  the  stormiest  of  all  the 
administrations  of  the  Governors  of  the  Old 
Northwest. 

Besides  representing  the  dignity  and 
authority  of  the  National  government,  the 
Governor  was  vested  by  the  Organic  Act  of 
the  Territory  with  extensive  appointive 
powers.269  With  the  advice  and  consent  of 
the  Council  he  appointed  all  judicial  of 
ficers  of  the  townships  and  counties,  sheriffs, 
and  some  of  the  militia  officers.  Vacancies 
in  these  offices  were  also  temporarily  filled 
by  executive  appointments.  Here  as  well  as 
in  the  legislative  department  his  policy  met 
the  approval  of  the  Council  and  conduced 
to  the  efficiency  and  responsibility  of  the 
local  government  in  the  Territory. 

From  an  historical  retrospect  the  office  of 
Territorial  Governor  in  the  late  thirties  and 


CHARACTER  AND  SERVICES          203 

forties  would  seem  to  equal  in  importance 
those  of  the  provincial  and  colonial  execu 
tives  of  the  eighteenth  century.  The  area 
to  be  governed  was  generally  vaster,  the 
problems  of  administration  as  complex,  and 
the  dangers  from  Indians  fully  as  great. 
Both  were  the  dominant  influence  in  the  gov 
ernment.  And,  as  the  administrations  of  the 
pre-Revolutionary  Governors  were  training 
schools  for  the  founders  of  the  Eepublic,  so 
the  governments  in  the  Territories  of  the  Old 
Northwest  bequeathed  to  the  West  a  power 
and  influence  which  made  it  a  dominating 
factor  in  National  affairs. 

On  the  death  of  Governor  Dodge  the  State 
Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin  adopted 
resolutions  extolling  his  character  and  his 
long  official  services  which  "have  secured  for 
him  to  all  time  the  grateful  remembrance  of 
the  people  of  this  State '  '.27°  Five  days  after 
his  death  Governor  Lucius  Pairchild  paid 
public  tribute  to  Governor  Dodge  in  these 
words : — "A  brave  and  accomplished  soldier, 
an  enlightened  and  incorruptible  statesman 
—  General  Dodge  was  for  many  years  recog 
nized  as  one  of  the  most  distinguished  lead 
ers  in  the  nation.  Too  brave  to  be  other  than 
he  seemed,  too  honest  to  be  a  demagogue,  his 


204  HENRY  DODGE 

career  was  characterized  by  a  manly  inde 
pendence  in  doing  right,  which  won  for  him 
the  confidence  of  the  whole  people."271 

In  1870  the  legislature  of  the  State  of  Wis 
consin  passed  an  act  to  perpetuate  his 
memory,  declaring  that  the  State  was  called 
upon  to  recognize  in  some  permanent  form 
honorable  to  the  State  the  "  sterling  quali 
ties  and  eminent  services"  of  the  late  Gov 
ernor  Dodge.  The  act  provided  for  the  con 
struction  of  a  bust  of  the  finest  marble,  not 
to  exceed  $20,000  in  cost.  This  bust  was 
executed  by  the  sculptor  E.  P.  Knowles,  and 
the  completed  work  was  placed  in  the  Gov 
ernor  's  room  of  the  Wisconsin  Capitol.272 

HE   SERVED    HIS   OWN    GENERATION   BY    THE 

WILL  OF  GoD.273  Thus  reads  the  epitaph  on 
his  monument  overlooking  the  Father  of 
Waters  at  Burlington.  It  is  a  fitting  resting 
place  for  the  man.  The  strong  and  ceaseless 
flow  of  the  great  Mississippi  symbolizes  his 
aggressive  pioneer  spirit.  Its  turbulent 
waves  from  the  north  reecho  forever  the 
tales  of  his  Indian  conflicts  and  conquests. 
And  in  its  more  peaceful  moods  it  reflects  Ms 
civil  and  military  career  during  which  he 
helped  to  make  and  to  mould  two  mighty 
Mississippi  Valley  Commonwealths. 


NOTES    AND    REFERENCES 


205 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES 
CHAPTER   I 

1  Most  of  the  facts  in  this  chapter  are  gleaned  from 
the  following  sources: — 

Theron  Royal  Woodward's  Dodge  Genealogy.  The 
author  is  a  descendant  of  the  Dodge  family  and  his 
book  contains  an  exhaustive  register  of  all  the  de 
scendants  of  the  Dodge  line. 

Robert  Dodge's  Tristram  Dodge  and  Descendants. 
Besides  the  genealogical  material  this  book  contains 
sketches  of  Henry  Dodge  and  a  brief  history  of  Block 
Island. 

William  Salter's  A  Heroine  of  the  Revolution: 
Nancy  Ann  Hunter  in  the  Iowa  Historical  Record, 
for  April,  1886,  Vol.  II,  No.  2,  pp.  258-264. 

Manuscript  Notes  by  Augustus  Caesar  Dodge  for 
an  historical  address  delivered  before  the  old  settlers 
of  Clark  County,  Missouri,  in  the  fall  of  1883.  The 
writer  was  given  access  to  these  notes  by  the  late  Rev. 
William  Salter  of  Burlington,  Iowa. 

2Richman's  Rhode  Island,  pp.  6,  7. 

3  Dodge 's  Tristram  Dodge  and  Descendants,  p.  204. 

4  Woodward's  Dodge  Genealogy,  pp.  7-11. 

5  Woodward's  Dodge  Genealogy,  p.  11. 

6  Woodward's  Dodge  Genealogy,  pp.  16-18. 

7  Dodge 's  Manuscript  Notes. 

8  Dodge 's  Manuscript  Notes. 

207 


208  HENRY  DODGE 

9  Judge  John  Law 's  The  Colonial  History  of  Vin- 
cennes,  pp.  24-37. 

10  Narrative  of  Mr.  John  Dodge  During  his  Cap 
tivity  at  Detroit,  edited  by  Clarence  Monroe  Burton, 
pp.  14-16. 

11  Collections  of  the  Illinois  State  Historical  Li 
brary,  Vol.  II,  edited  by  Clarence  W.  Alvord,  Vir 
ginia  Series,  Vol.  I,  p.  xcv. 

12  Narrative  of  Mr.  John  Dodge  During  his  Cap 
tivity  at  Detroit,  edited  by  Clarence  Munroe  Burton, 
p.  34. 

13  Thwaites  and  Kellogg 's  The  Revolution  on  the 
Upper  Ohio,  1775-1777,  p.  143. 

14  English's  Conquest  of  the  Northwest,  1778-1783, 
Vol.  II,  p.  736. 

"  As  we  had  suffered  already  from  the  simple  asser 
tions  of  obscure  persons,  one  of  whom  John  Dodge,  was 
known  by  several  Virginians  to  be  an  unprincipled  and 
perjured  renegade,  and  as  we  had  experienced  the  in 
humanity  of  the  executive  power. ' ' —  Lieutenant  Gov 
ernor  Henry  Hamilton's  statement  in  The  Haldimand 
Papers  printed  in  the  Michigan  Pioneer  Collections, 
Vol.  IX,  p.  512. 

15  From  a  letter  dated  August  25,  1787,  by  Father 
Peter  Heut  de  la  Valiniere  to  Charles  Thomson,  Sec 
retary  of  Congress,  printed  in  the  Illinois  Historical 
Collections,  Virginia  Series,  Vol.  II,  CahoJcia  Records, 
1778-1790,  pp.  424-428. 

16  Dodge's  Manuscript  Notes. 

17  Thwaites 's   Early  Lead-Mining  in   Illinois   and 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  209 

Wisconsin  in  the  Annual  Report  of  the  American 
Historical  Association,  1893,  p.  193. 

18Houck's  The  Spanish  Regime  in  Missouri,  Vol. 
II,  pp.  293,  294. 

19  American  State  Papers,  Public  Lands,  VoL  VIII, 
pp.  105,  106. 

20  Dodge's  Manuscript  Notes. 

21  This  story  is  found  in  Dodge's  Manuscript  Notes. 

22  Gayarre's  History  of  Louisiana,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  406. 

23  Dodge's  Manuscript  Notes. 

24  History  of  Southeast  Missouri  (1888),  p.  310. 

25  "A   few   days   after   the   birth   of  the   child,   a 
Piankeshaw  chief  came  in,  and  said  that  it  could  not 
be  allowed  to  live  in  their  country,  and  he  would 
dash  out  its  brains.    The  mother  plead  for  the  life  of 
her  first  born.     Moses  Henry  explained  that  it  was 
the  'papoose'  of  a  friend  of  his,  whose  'squaw'  was 
sojourning  in  his  house  —  that  the   child  was  born 
out  of  due  time,  while  the  mother  was  on  her  way  to 
her  people,  and  that  they  would  soon  go  on  their 
journey.    These  expostulations  prevailed,  the  chief  at 
the  same  time  saying  'nits  make  lice;  this  little  nit 
may  grow  to  be  a  big  louse  and  bite  us;'  a  prophecy 
which  came  true.     In  gratitude  to  her  benefactor, 
Mrs.   Dodge   gave  his    [that   of  Moses   Henry]    full 
name  to  the  child,  which  he  retained  until  he  was 
grown,  when  he  adopted  the  single  name,  Henry." — 
Salter's  A  Heroine  of  the  Revolution:  Nancy  Ann 
Hunter  in  the  Iowa  Historical  Record,  Vol.  II,  No. 
2,  pp.  261,  262. 

14 


210  HENRY  DODGE 

26  Sailer's  A  Heroine  of  the  Revolution:  Nancy  Ann 
Hunter  in  the  Iowa  Historical  Record,  Vol.  II,  No.  2, 
p.  263. 

27  Houck's  The  Spanish  Regime  in  Missouri,  Vol. 
II,  p.  295. 

28  Dodge 's  Manuscript  Notes. 

CHAPTER   II 

29  Shambaugh  's  Documentary  Material  Relating  to 
the  History  of  Iowa,  Vol.  I,  p.  19. 

30  History  of  Southeast  Missouri,  pp.  310-315.   This 
is  an  anonymous  work  compiled  in  1888  by  the  Good- 
speed  Publishing  Company  of  Chicago. 

31  Isidor  Loeb  in  the  Missouri  Historical  Quarterly, 
Vol.  I,  p.  63. 

32  History  of  Southeast  Missouri,  pp.  310,  311. 

33  History  of  Southeast  Missouri,  pp.  311,  312. 
34 Darby's  Personal  Recollections,  pp.  87,  88. 

35  Salter  's  Henry   Dodge   in   the   Iowa   Historical 
Record,  Vol.  V,  No.  4,  pp.  342,  343. 

36  Houck's  A  History  of  Missouri,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  67. 

37  History  of  Southeast  Missouri,  pp.  312,  313. 

38  The  complete  list  of  the  commissions  is  as  fol 
lows  : — 

1.  Lieutenant  of  Militia  in  the  District  of  Ste. 
Genevieve ;  signed  by  James  Wilkinson,  Governor  and 
Commander  in  Chief  of  the  Territory  of  Louisiana, 
and  Joseph  Browne,  Secretary,  May  10,  1806. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  211 

2.  Adjutant  of  the  Militia  in  the  District  of  Ste. 
Genevieve;    signed   by   James  Wilkinson,    Governor, 
etc.,  July  17,  1806.     This  commission  also  bears  the 
oath  of  office  sworn  to  by  H.  Dodge  before  Jno.  Smith, 
T.,  March  2,  1807. 

3.  First  Lieutenant  of  Ste.   Genevieve   Troop   of 
Cavalry ;  signed  by  Frederick  Bates,  Secretary  of  the 
Territory  of  Louisiana,   and  exercising  as  well  the 
government  thereof  as  the  office  of  Commander  in 
Chief   of  the   militia   of   said   Territory,    St.    Louis, 
August  14,  1807. 

4.  Captain  of  Ste.  Genevieve  Troop  of  Cavalry; 
signed   by   Meriwether   Lewis,    Governor   and    Com 
mander  in  Chief  of  the  Territory  of  Louisiana,  and 
F.  Bates,  Secretary,  July  10,  1809. 

5.  Marshal  for  the  Territory  of  Missouri;  notifi 
cation  of  appointment  by  President  Madison;  signed 
by  James  Monroe,  Secretary  of  State,  August  10,  1813. 

6.  Sheriff  of  the  County  of  Ste.  Genevieve ;  signed 
by  William  Clark,  Governor  of  the  Territory  of  Mis 
souri,  and  F.  Bates,  Secretary,  October  1,  1813. 

7.  Brigadier  General  of  the  Missouri  Territory,  to 
rank  as  such  from  the  17th  of  January,  1814;  signed 
by  James  Madison,  President  of  the  United  States, 
and  J.  Armstrong,   Secretary  of  War,  Washington, 
April  16,  1814. 

8.  Sheriff  of  the  County  of  Ste.  Genevieve ;  signed 
by  Wm.   Clark,   Governor  of  the   Territory  of  Mis 
souri,  and  F.  Bates,  Secretary,  September  30,  1815. 

9.  Marshal  for  the  District  of  Missouri;  notifica 
tion  of  appointment  by  President  Madison;  signed 
by  John  Graham,  Chief  Clerk  of  the  Department  of 
State,  February  25,  1817. 


212  HENRY  DODGE 

10.  Marshal  in  and  for  the  Missouri  District  for 
four  years;  signed  by  James  Monroe,  President,  and 
John  Quincy  Adams,  Secretary  of  State,  April  25, 
1822. 

11.  Major  General  of  the  Second  Division  Mis 
souri  Militia;  signed  by  Alexander  McNair,  Governor 
of  the  State  of  Missouri,  and  Win.  G.  Pettus,  Secre 
tary  of  State,  St.  Charles,  May  8, 1822. 

12.  Marshal  of  the  United  States  in  and  for  the 
District  of  Missouri  for  four  years  from.  April  25, 
1826;  signed  by  J.  Q.  Adams,  President,  and  Henry 
Clay,  Secretary  of  State,  December  22,  1825. 

13.  Chief  Justice  of  the  County  Court  in  and  for 
the  County  of  Iowa  for  four  years  from  December  1, 
1829;  signed  by  Lewis  Cass,  Governor  of  the  Terri 
tory  of  Michigan,  and  J.  Witherell,  Secretary;  De 
troit,  October  14,  1829. 

14.  Colonel   in   the   Militia   of   the   Territory   of 
Michigan;  signed  by  Lewis  Cass,  Governor,  October 
15,  1829. 

15.  Major  of  the  Battalion  of  Mounted  Rangers, 
to  rank  from  June  21,  1832 ;  signed  by  Andrew  Jack 
son,  President,  and  Lewis  Cass,  Secretary  of  War, 
June  22,  1832. 

16.  Colonel  of  the  Regiment  of  Dragoons,  to  rank 
from  the  4th  of  March,  1833 ;  signed  by  Andrew  Jack 
son,  President,  and  Lewis  Cass,  Secretary  of  War, 
May  10,  1834. 

17.  Governor  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  for 
three  years  from  July  3,  1836;  signed  by  Andrew 
Jackson,  President,  and  John  Forsyth,  Secretary  of 
State,  April  30,  1836. 

18.  Governor  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  for 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  213 

three  years  from  July  3,  1839;  signed  by  M.  Van 
Buren,  President,  and  John  Forsyth,  Secretary  of 
State,  March  9,  1839. 

19.  Governor  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  for 
three  years  from  February  3,  1846;  signed  by  James 
K.  Polk,  President,  and  James  Buchanan,  Secretary 
of  State,  February  3,  1846. —  Iowa  Historical  Record, 
Vol.  V,  No.  4,  pp.  338-340. 

39Niles's  Weekly  Register,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  142,  143. 

40  An  account  of  the  enrollment  of  the  Missouri 
Territorial  militia  is  to  be  found  in  Houck's  A  His 
tory  of  Missouri,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  103-108. 

41  The  facts  and  the  narrative  concerning  this  cam 
paign  are  based  on  notes  by  Dr.  Lyman  C.  Draper  of 
Madison,  Wisconsin,  who  constructed  them  from  in 
formation  furnished  by  Henry  Dodge  in  1855. —  See 
the  Iowa  Historical  Record,  Vol.  V,  No.  4,  pp.  359-361. 

42  Kappler's  Indian  Affairs,  Laws  and  Treaties,  Vol. 
II,  pp.  112-115. 

43  Houck's  A  History   of  Missouri,  Vol.   Ill,   pp. 
248-250. 

CHAPTEE  III 

44  Houck's  A  History  of  Missouri,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  190, 
191. 

45  The  facts  and  the  quotation  in  this  paragraph 
are  taken  from  Salter's  Henry  Dodge  in  the  Iowa 
Historical  Record,  Vol.  V,  No.  4,  pp.  346,  347. 

46  "I  knew  him  [Augustus  Caesar  Dodge]  when  he 
helped  to  cordel  the  keel  boat  which  conveyed  his 


214  HENRY  DODGE 

father  and  his  family  from  St.  Mary's  Landing  Mis 
souri  to  Galena  Illinois  in  March  1827,  he  pulling  at 
the  cordel  with  his  father,  brother  Henry  L  &  his 
fathers  negro  slaves." — From  a  letter  by  George  W. 
Jones  to  Charles  Aldrich,  dated  June  1,  1890,  and 
preserved  in  the  Historical  Department  at  Des  Moines, 
Iowa. 

47  A  more  detailed  account  of  this  journey  may  be 
found  in  the  third  chapter  of  the  author's  Augustus 
Caesar  Dodge. 

18Niles's  Weekly  Register,  Vol.  XXXIV,  p.  344. 

49  From  a  letter  by  Joseph  Montf  ort  Street  at 
Prairie  du  Chien  to  Dr.  Alexander  Posey,  dated  De 
cember  11,  1827,  and  preserved  in  the  Historical  De 
partment  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

50Salter's  Henry  Dodge  in  the  Iowa  Historical 
Record,  Vol.  V,  No.  2,  pp.  349,  350. 

51  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  IV,  p.  181. 

52  Salter's  Henry  Dodge   in  the   Iowa   Historical 
Record,  Vol.  V,  No.  4,  p.  350. 

53Salter's  Henry  Dodge  in  the  Iowa  Historical 
Record,  Vol.  V,  No.  4,  pp.  350,  351. 

54  This  letter  is  printed  in  Salter's  Henry  Dodge  in 
the  Iowa  Historical  Record,  Vol.  V,  No.  4,  pp.  351, 
352. 

Morgan  L.  Martin,  who  made  a  tour  through  these 
mining  districts,  wrote  concerning  it  after  a  lapse  of 
fifty-nine  years:  "Our  first  objective  point  was 
Dodgeville,  wyhere  Henry  Dodge  had  started  a  'dig 
gings'.  We  found  his  cabins  surrounded  by  a 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  215 

formidable  stockade,  and  the  miners  liberally  sup 
plied  with  ammunition.  The  Winnebagoes  had  threat 
ened  to  oust  the  little  colony,  and  were  displaying  an 
ugly  disposition.  Dodge  entertained  us  at  his  cabin, 
the  walls  of  which  were  well  covered  with  guns.  He 
said  that  he  had  a  man  for  every  gun  and  would  not 
leave  the  county  unless  the  Indians  were  stronger 
than  he." — Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XI, 
p.  397. 

55Kappler's  Indian  Affairs,  Laws  and  Treaties, 
Vol.  II,  pp.  300-303.  Three  days  before  he  had  wit 
nessed  a  treaty  with  the  Chippewas  likewise  negoti 
ated  at  Prairie  du  Chien. 

56Salter's  Henry  Dodge  in  the  Iowa  Historical 
Record,  Vol.  V,  No.  4,  p.  353. 

On  July  4,  1829,  he  participated  in  a  patriotic 
celebration  at  Mineral  Point  and  officiated  as  Presi 
dent  of  the  Day.  The  next  month  he  was  elected 
Chief  Justice  of  Iowa  County,  which  the  Legislative 
Assembly  of  Michigan  Territory  had  created  a  short 
time  before. —  Galena  Advertiser,  Vol.  I,  Nos.  4,  8, 
August  10  and  September  7,  1829. 

57  Letter  of  Henry  Dodge  dated  February  10,  1829, 
to  Delegate  Austin  E.  Wing,  printed  in  Smith's 
History  of  Wisconsin,  Part  I,  Vol.  I,  pp.  431,  432. 

58Salter's  Henry  Dodge  in  the  Iowa  Historical 
Record,  Vol.  V,  No.  4,  p.  355 ;  and  A  Record  of  the 
Commemoration  of  the  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  the 
Settlement  of  Iowa,  pp.  87,  88. 

59  This  public  letter  is  printed  in  Salter's  Henry 


216  HENRY  DODGE 

Dodge  in  the  Iowa  Historical  Record,  Vol.  V,  No.  4, 
pp.  355,  356. 

60  Printed  in  Salter  's  Henry  Dodge  in  the  Iowa 
Historical  Record,  Vol.  V,  No.  4,  pp.  356-358. 

CHAPTER   IV 

61  Kappler's  Indian  Affairs,  Laws  and  Treaties,  Vol. 
II,  pp.  132,  133. 

62  Kappler's  Indian  Affairs,  Laws  and  Treaties,  Vol. 
II,  pp.  250-255. 

63  This  statement  of  causes  is  taken  from  a  letter  by 
Joseph   M.    Street   to   Dr.    Alexander   Posey,    dated 
December    11,    1827.      The    letter    is    written    from 
Prairie  du  Chien  where  for  many  years  Street  was 
Indian  Agent.    The  letter  is  found  in  the  Street  Col 
lection  in  the  Historical  Department  at  Des  Moines, 
Iowa. 

64  Strong 's  The  Indian  Wars  of  Wisconsin  in  the 
Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VIII,  p.  253. 

65  Stevens 's  Black  Hawk  War,  pp.  72,  73. 

66  An  extended  account  of  this  incident  is  Snelling  's 
Early  Days  at  Prairie  du  Chien  and  the  Winnebago 
Outbreak  of  1827  in  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collec 
tions,  Vol.  V,  pp.  123-153. 

67  Mrs.  Adele  P.  Gratiot  in  the  Wisconsin  Historical 
Collections,  Vol.  X,  p.  270. 

68  Letter  dated  August  26,  1827,  and  printed  in  the 
Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  V,  pp.  157,  158. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  217 

C9Salter's  Henry  Dodge  in  the  Iowa  Historical 
Record,  Vol.  V,  No.  4,  p.  349. 

70  Quoted  from  Strong's  The  Indian  Wars  of  Wis 
consin  in  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol. 
VIII,  p.  261.    Most  of  the  facts  of  this  campaign  are 
gleaned  from  this  article. 

71  Red  Bird  died  in  prison  at  Prairie  du  Chien. 
His  two  accomplices  were  indicted,  tried,  convicted, 
and  sentenced  to  be  hanged  on  December  26, 1828.    On 
November  3,  1828,  they  were  pardoned  by  President 
Adams. —  Strong 's  History   of   Wisconsin   Territory, 
pp.  130,  131. 

72  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,Vol.VlII,  p.  265. 

73  Kappler  's   Indian   Affairs,   Laws   and    Treaties, 
Vol.  II,  pp.  300-303. 

74  Thwaites's  The  Story  of  the  Black  Hawk  War  in 
the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XII,  pp. 
217-265;  also  Ford's  History  of  Illinois,  pp.  109,  110. 

"His  passions  were  many,  but  the  consuming  pas 
sion  of  his  life  was  hatred  of  the  Americans,  a  hatred 
without  cause  and  as  unjustifiable  and  unreasonable 
as  man's  baser  passions  are  always  found  to  be.  Yet 
this  may  not  be  surprising,  fed  as  he  was  by  his  de 
vouring  gloom  and  restless,  war-like  spirit.  The 
mantle  of  charity  has  many  a  time  before  and  since 
covered  graver  faults;  so  let  it  be  with  Black  Hawk's, 
for  it  is  said  of  him  that  in  his  domestic  life  he  was 
a  kind  husband  and  father,  and  in  his  transactions 
with  his  people  he  was  upright  and  honest,  if  he  was 
not  ambitious  for  their  elevation. ' ' —  Stevens 's  Black 
Hawk  War,  p.  21. 


218  HENRY  DODGE 

75  Kappler  's  Indian  Affairs,  Laws  and  Treaties,  Vol. 
II,  pp.  74-77. 

76  Kappler 's  Indian  Affairs,  Laws  and  Treaties,  Vol. 
II,  pp.  126-128. 

77  Kappler 's  Indian  Affairs,  Laws  and  Treaties,  Vol. 
II,  pp.  250-255. 

78  Ford's  History  of  Illinois,  p.  111.    The  main  facts 
in  the  narrative  of  this  campaign  are  taken  from  this 
volume,  the  author  of  which,  Thomas  Ford,  was  a 
participant  and  later  Governor  of  Illinois. 

79  The  text  of  the  treaty  is  printed  in  Stevens 's 
Black  Hawk  War,  pp.  96-98. 

80  Quoted  in  Strong's  History  of  Wisconsin  Terri 
tory,  p.  132. 

CHAPTER  V 

81  The  principal  sources  from  which  this  chapter 
has  been  constructed  are  as  follows: — 

I.     HISTORIES  AND  BIOGRAPHIES 

1.  Stevens 's  Black  Hawk  War.    This  is  the  most 
exhaustive  and  detailed  treatment  of  this  subject  ex 
tant. 

2.  Stevens 's    Wake  field's   History    of    the    Black 
Hawk  War.    This  is  a  reprint  of  John  Allen  Wake- 
field's  book  published  in  1834.    Wakefield  was  a  sur 
geon  and  a  scout  in  this  war  and  attained  the  rank 
of  Major. 

3.  Salter's  Henry  Dodge.    Chapter  II  in  the  Iowa 
Historical  Record,  Vol.  VI,  No.  1,  contains  a  mass  of 
facts  and  original  material. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  219 

4.  Ford's  History  of  Illinois.     The  author  was  a 
participant  in  this  war  and  later  Governor  of  Illinois. 
The  author  attempts  to  show  that  not  Dodge  but 
Henry  was  the  rea-l  hero  of  the  war. 

5.  Strong's  History  of  Wisconsin  Territory.  About 
twenty  pages  are  devoted  to  the  war  by  a  competent 
hand. 

6.  Smith's  History  of  Wisconsin,  Vols.  I  and  II. 
This  is  an  excellent  collection  of  both  secondary  and 
source  material. 

7.  The  Great  Indian  Chief  of  the  West:  Or,  Life 
and  Adventures  of  Black  Hawk,  published  anony 
mously  at  Philadelphia  in  1855. 

8.  Life    of    Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak    or    Black 
Hawk.    Ford  on  page  110  of  his  history  declares  that 
this  "was  got  up  from  the  statements  of  Mr.  Antoine 
Le  Clere  and  Col.  Davenport,  and  was  written  by  a 
printer,  and  was  never  intended  for  anything  but  a 
catch-penny  publication. ' ' 

9.  Elliott's  Black  Hawk  and  Mexican  War  Rec 
ords.    This  contains  a  roster  of  the  Illinois  troops  in 
the  war. 

10.  Thwaites's  Wisconsin  in  the  American  Com 
monwealth  Series. 

11.  Fulton's  The  Red  Men  of  Iowa  containing  an 
account  of  the  war  and  a  sketch  of  Black  Hawk. 

II.     SPECIAL  ARTICLES 

1.  Thwaites's  The  Story  of  the  Black  Hawk  War 
in  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XII,  pp. 
217-265. 

2.  Strong's  The  Indian  Wars  of  Wisconsin  in  the 
Wisconsin    Historical    Collections,    Vol.    VIII,    pp. 


220  HENRY  DODGE 

241-286.    This  is  reprinted  in  that  author 's  History  of 
Wisconsin  Territory. 

3.  Parkinson's  Pioneer  Life  in  Wisconsin  in  the 
Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  pp.  326-364. 

4.  Pecatonica  Battle  Controversy  in  the  Wiscon 
sin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  pp.  365-392. 

III.    MISCELLANEOUS 

1.  The  Galenian  (Galena,  Illinois)  in  the  posses 
sion  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society.     This  was  a 
weekly  edited  by  Addison  Philleo  who  served  in  the 
war.    It  was  the  only  paper  then  published  in  Illinois 
north  of  Springfield. 

2.  A  Record  of  the  Commemoration  of  the  Fiftieth 
Anniversary  of  the  Settlement  of  Iowa.     Published 
at  Burlington  in  1883. 

3.  Manuscript   collections   in   the   library   of   the 
Wisconsin  Historical  Society. 

4.  A  Diary  of  the  Black  Hawk  War  in  The  Iowa 
Journal  of  History  and  Politics,  Vol.  VIII,  pp.  265- 
269.    The  authorship  of  this  diary,  edited  by  Dr.  John 
Carl  Parish,  has  not  been  ascertained. 

5.  Autobiographical  Manuscript  by  George  Wal 
lace  Jones,  a  copy  of  which  is  in  the  Library  of  The 
State  Historical  Society  of  Iowa. 

82  Thwaites's  The  Black  Hawk  War  in  the  Wiscon 
sin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XII,  pp.  230,  231. 

83  This  letter  is  printed  in  Stevens 's   Wake  field's 
History  of  the  Black  Hawk  War,  pp.  35,  36. 

84  The  proclamation  is  printed  in  Stevens 's  Wake- 
field's  History  of  the  Black  Hawk  War,  pp.  36,  37. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  221 

85  Stevens 's  Wake  field's  History  of  the  Black  Hawk 
War,  pp.  41,  44,  45. 

86  Elliott 's  Black  Hawk  and  Mexican  War  Records, 
p.  xvii. 

87  Strong's  History  of  Wisconsin  Territory,  p.  135. 

88  The   Galenian    (Galena,   Illinois)    for  May   and 
June,  1832. 

89  Salter  's   Henry  Dodge   in   the   Iowa   Historical 
Record,  Vol.  VI,  No.  1,  p.  393. 

90  This  letter  was  written  from  Mineral  Point  and 
is  printed  in  Smith's  History  of  Wisconsin,  Part  I, 
Vol.  I,  p.  417. 

91  Strong's  History  of  Wisconsin  Territory,  p.  135. 
Colonel  Daniel  M.  Parkison  says  there  were  "  about 

fifty  men"  in  this  party. — Wisconsin  Historical  Col 
lections,  Vol.  II,  p.  337. 

»2The  Galenian   (Galena,  Illinois),  Vol.  I,  No.  3, 
May  16,  1832. 

93  A  Record  of  the  Commemoration  of  the  Fiftieth 
Anniversary  of  the  Settlement  of  Iowa,  p.  72. 

94  This  talk  is  printed  in  Smith 's  History  of  Wis 
consin,  Part  I,  Vol.  I,  pp.  416,  417. 

95  The  complete  story  of  this  adventure  as  told  by 
the  captives  themselves  may  be  found  in  Stevens 's 
Black  Hawk  War,  pp.  150-154. 

96  Smith 's  History  of  Wisconsin,  Part  I,  Vol.  I,  pp. 
418,  419. 

97  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  pp.  339- 
341. 


222  HENRY  DODGE 

98  Printed  in  Smith 's  History  of  Wisconsin,  Part  I, 
Vol.  I,  pp.  420-422. 

99  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  pp.  341- 
343. 

100  jnrom  a  letter  to  Dr.  Addison  Philleo  printed  in 
The  Galenian  (Galena,  Illinois),  Vol.  I,  No.  8,  June 
20,  1832. 

101 "  From  that  time  [spring  of  1831]  we  were 
mining  and  farming  near  Platteville  and  doing  pretty 
well  until  the  summer  of  1832,  when  the  Black  Hawk 
War  interrupted  our  work,  as  every  man  had  to  turn 
out,  join  some  company,  and  go  hunting  after  Indians. 
Lucius  and  I  joined  different  companies,  he  that  of 
Captain  Gentry  under  Colonel  Dodge  and  I  enlisted 
in  the  company  of  Captain  Craig  under  Colonel 
Stephenson.  We  put  into  the  service  five  horses;  and 
some  of  them  did  better  fighting  than  I  did,  for  only 
two  of  them  came  out  of  the  war  alive,  the  best  one 
having  been  killed  at  the  Battle  of  Bad  Axe  at  the 
mouth  of  Black  River  on  the  Mississippi  River.  I 
had  been  mining  and  hunting  Indians  alternately  all 
summer,  but  fortunately  never  found  any  Indians 
and  unfortunately  found  no  mineral. ' ' —  The  Lang- 
worthys  of  Early  Dubuque  and  their  Contributions 
to  Local  History,  edited  by  Dr.  John  Carl  Parish,  in 
The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Politics  for  July, 
1910.  The  quotation  is  found  on  pages  348,  349. 

102  Strong's  History  of  Wisconsin  Territory,  p.  141. 

IDS  rp^  f  uu  report  is  printed  in  Smith 's  History  of 
Wisconsin,  Part  II,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  195-199. 

104  Ford's  History  of  Illinois,  p.  128. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  223 

105  Thwaites's  The  Story  of  the  Black  Hawk  War  in 
the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XII,  pp. 
246,  247. 

106  At  Galena  the  ladies  presented  him  with  colors 
for  his   regiment   and   the    Colonel   responded   with 
thanks,  dating  his  reply  June  25,  1832,  from  Fort 
Union. 

107  Stevens 's  Black  Hawk  War,  p.  183. 

108  Thwaites's  The  Story  of  the  Black  Hawk  War  in 
the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  XII,  p.  247. 

109  Smith's  History  of  Wisconsin,  Part  I,  Vol.  I,  p. 
277. 

no  Ford's  History  of  Illinois,  pp.  135-137. 

111  Adjutants  E.  H.  Merryman  and  W.  W.  Wood- 
bridge  and  Little  Thunder. 

112  The  Galenian  (Galena,  Illinois),  Vol.  I,  No.  14, 
August  1,   1832.     This  report  was  written  by  Dr. 
Addison  Philleo. 

113  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections, Vol.XII,  p.  256. 

114  This  undated  account  is  found  among  the  George 
Hyer  papers  in  the  library  of  the  State  Historical  So 
ciety  of  Wisconsin  at  Madison. 

The  following  report  of  the  battle  written  by  Dodge 
on  July  22nd  is  extracted  from  Niles's  Weekly  Regis 
ter,  Vol.  XLII,  No.  1091,  August  18,  1832  :— 

"We  met  the  enemy  yesterday  near  the  Wisconsin 
river,  and  opposite  the  old  Sack  village,  after  a  close 
pursuit  of  near  100  miles.  Our  loss  was  one  man 
killed  and  eight  wounded;  from  the  scalps  taken  by 


224  HENRY  DODGE 

the  Winnebagoes,  as  well  as  those  taken  by  the  whites ; 
and  the  Indians  carried  from  the  field  of  battle,  we 
must  have  killed  40  of  them.  The  number  of  wounded 
is  not  known;  we  can  only  judge  from  the  number 
killed  that  many  were  wounded.  From  their  crippled 
situation,  I  think  we  must  overtake  them ;  unless  they 
descend  the  "Wisconsin  by  water. ' ' 

This  is  the  account  which  gave  rise  to  an  endless 
discussion  as  to  the  relative  claims  of  Colonel  Dodge 
and  Brigadier  General  Henry  to  be  called  the  hero  of 
this  war.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the  latter  had 
the  chief  command  at  the  battle  of  Wisconsin  Heights. 

us  prjnted  in  Smith's  History  of  Wisconsin,  Part  I, 
Vol.  I,  p.  426. 

116  Black   Hawk   and   the   Prophet   Neapope   were 
captured  by  Chaetar  and  One-eyed  Decorah,  two  Win- 
nebago  braves  who  on  August  27,  1832,  delivered  them 
to  Agent  Joseph  M.  Street  at  Prairie  du  Chien.    The 
Winnebago,  Little  Thunder,  received  the  government 
reward    of    $2,000.—  McBride  's    Capture    of    Black 
Hawk  in  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  V, 
pp.  293-297 ;  see  also  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections, 
Vol.  VIII,  p.  316. 

117  From  the  unpublished  autobiography  of  George 
Wallace  Jones,  a  copy  of  which  is  in  the  possession  of 
The  State  Historical  Society  of  Iowa. 

118  These   figures  are  taken  from   Thwaites's   The 
Story  of  the  Black  Hawk  War  in  the  Wisconsin  His 
torical  Collections,  Vol.  XII,  p.  261. 

119 '  <  Qur  citizens  having  been  driven  by  that  enemy 
of  our  race  from  their  mines  and  farms,  [are]  forced 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  225 

with  their  families,  to  collect  for  mutual  protection 
into  the  rude  stockades  which  are  scattered  over  a 
large  space  of  territory,  or  compelled  to  take  up  arms, 
and  seek  the  savage  foe  in  the  forests  and  swamps  into 
which  they  retreat,  after  committing  their  murders 
and  depredations.  Our  country,  instead  of  realizing 
the  brilliant  prospects  of  wealth  and  plenty,  presents 
the  melancholy  [spectacle]  of  deserted  cabins,  of 
wasted  and  uncultivated  fields.  The  season  for  plant 
ing  and  raising  crops  has  passed  away  amidst  the 
preparations  for  defense,  and  the  clash  of  arms." — 
The  Galenian  (Galena,  Illinois),  Vol.  I,  No.  17, 
August  22,  1832. 

120  Letter  of  P.   Clayton,   Second  Auditor  in  the 
Treasury  Department,  to  Henry  Dodge,  dated  Jan 
uary  15,  1851,  and  printed  in  the  Wisconsin  Historical 
Collections,  Vol.  V,  pp.  285,  286. 

CHAPTEE  VI 

121  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  IV,  p.  533. 

122  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  V, 
pp.  36,  37. 

123  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  V, 
p.  40. 

124 Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  pp.  4,  5.  "This 
order  is  given",  continues  this  order,  "as  well  to  serve 
for  the  punishment  of  DRUNKENNESS,  as  to  spare  good 
and  temperate  men,  the  labor  of  digging  graves  for 
their  worthless  companions." 

This  Military  Order  Book  is  a  manuscript  document 
in  Henry  Dodge's  own  handwriting,  containing  his 

15 


226  HENEY  DODGE 

military  orders  and  correspondence  from  August, 
1832,  to  March,  1836.  The  orders,  issued  from  widely 
separated  points  in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  are  all 
written  in  ink  and  are  fairly  legible,  despite  the 
seventy-five  years  that  have  passed  since  their  writing. 
The  Military  Order  Book  is  in  the  possession  of  the 
Historical  Department  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  and  all 
references  in  this  volume  are  to  the  original  and  un 
published  source. 

125  Wisconsin  Historical   Collections,  Vol.   X,   pp. 
231,  232. 

126  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  pp.  7,  8. 

127  Kappler  's  Indian  Affairs,  Laws   and   Treaties, 
Vol.  II,  pp.  345-348. 

128  Kappler 's  Indian  Affairs,  Laws  and   Treaties, 
Vol.  II,  pp.  349-351. 

129  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  pp.  11,  12. 

130  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  p.  29. 

131  Dodge 's  Military  Order  Book,  pp.  18,  19. 

132  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  pp.  13,  14. 

133  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  p.  14. 

134  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  pp.  15,  16. 

135  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  II,  pp.  341, 
352. 

136  A  copy  of  this  letter  from  Dodgeville,  dated  July 
14,  1833,  is  to  be  found  in  Dodge's  Military  Order 
Book,  pp.  41-46. 

137  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  pp  1,  2. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  227 

138  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  pp.  47-50. 

139  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  pp.  59,  60. 

CHAPTER  VII 

140  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  IV,  p.  652. 

141  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  V, 
p.  126. 

142  Henry  Dodge  to  Colonel  R.  Jones,  August  28, 
1833,  in  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  pp.  60-63. 

143Salter's  Henry  Dodge  in  the  Iowa  Historical 
Record,  Vol.  VII,  No.  3,  p.  102. 

144  Quoted  from  Hildreth's  Dragoon  Campaigns  to 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  pp.  42,  43.    This  volume  of  288 
pages  was  published  in  1836  and  consists  of  a  series  of 
letters  written  by  the  author,  James  Hildreth.     The 
journey  from  Buffalo  to  Jefferson  Barracks  is  de 
scribed,  interesting  sketches  of  life  in  the  barracks  are 
given,  and  the  story  of  the  marches  from  St.  Louis  to 
Fort  Gibson  and  to  the  Pawnee  Pict  village  is  told 
with    many    stories    and    incidents    of    camp    life. 
Sketches  of  Indian  life  and  scenery  form  another  in 
teresting  feature  of  the  book. 

145  Hildreth 's   Dragoon    Campaigns   to    the   Rocky 
Mountains,  p.  46.    The  facts  in  the  description  of  the 
soldiers  and  the  barracks  in  the  foregoing  text  are 
taken  largely  from  this  work. 

146  Hildreth 's   Dragoon    Campaigns   to    the    Rocky 
Mountains,  p.  47. 

"Some  captains  have  ordered  timber  ready  hewn 


228  HENRY  DODGE 

from  St.  Louis,  and  allowed  some  of  the  dragoons  ex 
tra  pay  (although  merely  a  nominal  sum)  for  their 
labor;  but  others  have  made  their  men  cross  the 
Mississippi,  cut  down  timber  and  tow  it  to  the  oppo 
site  side,  without  the  smallest  compensation. 

' t  Not  to  be  at  all  personal,  I  have  wondered  whether 
somebody  did  not  make  money  out  of  this  speculation. 
If  government  paid  for  the  labor,  those  who  per 
formed  it  had  no  share  in  the  profits. 


•>  •> 


147  Hildreth's   Dragoon   Campaigns   to   the   Rocky 
Mountains,  pp.  51,  52. 

148  Hildreth's   Dragoon   Campaigns   to    the   Rocky 
Mountains,  pp.  59,  60. 


149  it  r^e  scenery  of  the  surrounding  country  was 
the  most  strikingly  picturesque  and  romantic  that  I 
had   ever   seen.     Mountains   and   valleys   so   richly 
thrown  together;  forests  and  prairies  so  beautifully 
interspersed;  the  elm  and  sycamore  towered  high  in 
the  air  ;  the  ledges  of  broken  rocks  emitted  forth  their 
tiny  torrents,  which  gently  meandered  on  their  course 
through  the  tangled  foliage."  —  Hildreth's  Dragoon 
Campaigns  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  pp.  62,  63. 

150  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  pp.  63,  64. 

151  Hildreth's  Dragoon   Campaigns   to   the   Rocky 
Mountains,  p.  84;  also  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book, 
pp.  65,  66. 

152  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  p.  71. 

153  Hildreth's   Dragoon   Campaigns   to   the   Rocky 
Mountains,  pp.  87,  88. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  229 

154  A  copy  of  this  communication  is  to  be  found  in 
Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  pp.  72-76. 

155  Hildreth's   Dragoon   Campaigns   to    the   Rocky 
Mountains,  pp.  105,  106. 

156  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  pp.  82,  83. 

157  Letter  from  Camp  Jackson  dated  April  18,  1834, 
to  George  W.  Jones,  found  in  the  Historical  Depart 
ment  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

158  Hildreth 's   Dragoon    Campaigns    to    the   Rocky 
Mountains,  p.  119. 

The  author  here  criticises  the  lack  of  ability  in 
Dragoon  tactics  in  some  of  the  officers.  "It  is  rather 
a  laughable  fact,"  he  writes,  "and  one  which  reflects 
but  little  credit  upon  the  accomplished  graduates  of 
West  Point,  that  they  should  be  compelled  to  receive 
instruction  in  swordsmanship  from  one  of  the  en 
listed  members  of  the  regiment.  Such  however  is  the 
case ;  and  my  friend  Long  Ned  ....  regularly 
every  afternoon  exercises  a  class  of  commissioned  of 
ficers  in  this  branch  of  tactics,  which  they  attempt 
afterward  to  impart  to  the  men. ' ' 

CHAPTER  VIII 

159  rjijjg  narrative  of  this  chapter  was  constructed 
from  the  following  sources :  - 

1.  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  V, 
pp.  373-382.  This  is  the  journal  kept  by  Lieutenant 
T.  B.  Wheelock  during  the  entire  march.  Although  it 
is  sketchy  in  form  it  presents  a  fascinating  narrative 
as  well  as  an  official  and  accurate  account. 


230  HENRY  DODGE 

2.  Catlin's  North  American  Indians,  Vol.  II,  pp. 
452-528  (Hazard's  edition  of  1857).    The  same  mate 
rial  is  also  found  in  the  Smithsonian  Report  for  1885, 
Part  II.    Mr.  Catlin  was  at  this  time  thirty-seven  years 
of  age,  and  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  Colonel  Dodge  of 
whom  he  painted  a  portrait.    Dodge  declared  of  Cat 
lin's  portraits  of  Indians  that  "The  likenesses  are 
good,  very  easily  to  be  recognized,  and  the  costumes 
faithfully  represented."     Vivid  descriptions  of  the 
Indians   and  narratives  of  buffalo  hunts,   marches, 
scenery,  and  Indian  councils  from  a  keen  observer,  a 
forceful  writer,  and  an  artist,  give  both  interest  and 
value  to  this  source. 

3.  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book. 

4.  Hildreth's   Dragoon   Campaigns    to    the   Rocky 
Mountains. 

5.  Manuscript  letters  from  Henry  Dodge  in  the  His 
torical  Department  at  Des  Moines. 

6.  A  Journal  of  Marches  ~by  the  First  United  States 
Dragoons,  1834-1835.     This  document  describes  four 
marches  by  the  First  United  States  Dragoons  which 
extended  over  the  area  of  five  States  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley.    The  author  of  the  Journal  was  a  member  of 
Company  I  commanded  by  Captain  Jesse  B.  Browne. 
The  Journal  is  edited  by  Louis  Pelzer  and  printed  in 
The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Politics,  Vol.  VII, 
pp.  331-378. 

160  Report  of  Secretary  of  War  Lewis  Cass  in  Amer 
ican  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  V,  p.  170. 

161  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  V, 
p.  373. 

162  Smithsonian  Report,  1885,  Part  II,  p.  479. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  231 

163  A  Journal  of  Marches  by  the  First  United  States 
Dragoons  in  The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Politics, 
Vol.  VII,  p.  344. 

164  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  V, 
p.  376. 

165  "Every  morning  early  as  the  day  dawned  hun 
dred  [s]  of  Squaws  might  be  seen  ladened  with  corn 
Pumpions  &  water-mellons  &  Buffalo  meat  strolling 
through  our  camp  more  anxious  to  trade  than  our 
Yankee  Pedlers  —  whatever  ornaments  or  decorations 
we  could  offer  whether  Paints,  Buttons,  Ribbands  or 
any  thing  else  to  make  a  show  they  quickly  bartered. 
Horses  of  the  finest  form  &  appearance  were  willingly 
exchanged    for   a    single    blanket". —  A    Journal   of 
Marches  by  the  First  United  States  Dragoons  in  The 
Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Politics,  Vol.  VII,  p. 
358. 

166  Catlin  's  North  American  Indians,  Vol.  II,  p.  505. 

'  *  The  little  boy  of  whom  I  have  spoken, ' '  wrote  Cat 
lin,  "was  brought  in,  the  whole  distance  to  Fort  Gib 
son,  in  the  arms  of  the  dragoons,  who  took  turns  in 
carrying  him;  and  after  the  command  arrived  there, 
he  was  transmitted  to  the  Red  River,  by  an  officer, 
who  had  the  enviable  satisfaction  of  delivering  him 
into  the  arms  of  his  disconsolate  and  half -distracted 
mother. ' ' 

167  A  Journal  of  Marches  by  the  First  United  States 
Dragoons  in  The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Poli 
tics,  Vol.  VII,  p.  359. 

168  "Marched   at   half -past   eight   o'clock",    writes 
Lieutenant  Wheelock  on  July  31,  1834.    "  Men  in  fine 


232  HENRY  DODGE 

spirits;  abundance  of  buffalo  meat;  course  northeast; 
distance  10  miles ;  encamped  on  a  branch  of  the  Cana 
dian  ;  three  buffaloes  killed  this  morning ;  no  news  yet 
from  express;  anxiously  looked  for;  face  of  country 
rolling  prairie ;  frequent  deep  gullies ;  one  of  the  Ki- 
owas  killed  three  buffaloes  with  three  arrows." 

169  Catlin's  North  American  Indians,  Vol.  II,  p.  515. 

17*  A  Journal  of  Marches  by  the  First  United  States 
Dragoons  in  The  Iowa  Journal  of  History  and  Poli 
tics,  Vol.  VII,  p.  359. 

171  American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  V, 
p.  382. 

172  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  p.  90. 

173  Letter  from   Colonel  Dodge,   dated   October   1, 
1834,  and  found  in  the  Historical  Department  at  Des 
Moines. 

174  A  report  of  this  expedition  was  sent  to  the  Ad 
jutant  General,  and  a  copy  thereof  dated  August  18, 
1834,  is  found  in  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  pp. 
85-89. 

175  <  <  Colonel  Dodge,  who  led  the  expedition, ' '  said 
Lewis  Cass,  "and  his  whole  command  appear  to  have 
performed  their  duties  in  the  most  satisfactory  man 
ner,  and  they  encountered  with  firmness  the  priva 
tions  incident  to  the  harassing  service  upon  which 
they  were  ordered. "-  —  American  State  Papers,  Mili 
tary  Affairs,  Vol.  V,  p.  358. 

176  Catlin's  North  American  Indians,  Vol.   II,   p. 
525. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  233 

CHAPTER  IX 

177  This  chapter  is  based  upon  the  material  found  in 
American  State  Papers,  Military  Affairs,  Vol.  VI,  pp. 
130-146.  This  material  consists  of  the  following  doc 
uments  : — 

1.  The  journal  of  the  march  of  this  detachment  of 
the  Dragoons  as  written  by  Lieutenant  G.  P.  Kings- 
bury,  the  journalist  of  the  expedition. 

2.  A  map  showing  the  route  of  the  Dragoons  in  this 
expedition. 

3.  Letter  from  Colonel  Dodge  to  Roger  Jones,  Ad 
jutant   General  of  the  United   States  Army,   dated 
October,  1835,  from  Fort  Leavenworth. 

4.  Letter  of  Edmund  P.  Gaines   (of  the  Western 
Department  of  the  Army)  to  Roger  Jones,  Adjutant 
General  of  the  United  States  Army,  dated  November 
12,  1835. 

ITS  rp^  present  counties  of  Richardson,  Nemaha, 
Johnson,  and  Otoe. 

179  "The  Otto  village",  describes  Lieutenant  Kings- 
bury,  "is  situated  on  a  high  prairie  ridge,  about  two 
miles  from  the  river,  and  overlooks  the  surrounding 
country  for  many  miles.  In  front  lay  the  green  level 
valley  of  the  Platte.  .  .  .  The  village  was  very 
neat  in  its  appearance.  The  lodges  were  built  of 
wood,  thatched  with  prairie  grass,  and  covered  with 
dirt.  They  were  of  a  circular  form,  with  a  pointed 
roof  about  ten  or  twelve  feet  high  to  the  break  of  the 
roof,  and  about  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  high  in  the  cen 
tre.  They  build  their  fires  in  the  middle  of  the  lodge, 
leaving  an  opening  in  the  roof  for  the  smoke  to  es 
cape." 


234  HENRY  DODGE 


route  Of  this  march  would  seem  to  corre 
spond  approximately  with  the  present  line  of  the 
Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad  between  the  cities 
of  Denver  and  Pueblo  in  the  State  of  Colorado. 

181  "  The  command  at  this  stage  of  the  march", 
writes  Lieutenant  Kingsbury  on  August   12,   "was 
in  a  most  perfect  state  of  health  —  not  a  man  upon  the 
sick  report  ;  the  horses  in  fine  order,  nearly  as  good  as 
when  they  left  Fort  Leavenworth.     The  colonel  had 
seen  all  the  Indians  he  expected  to  see,  and  had  estab 
lished  friendly  relations  with  them  all;  had  marched 
one  thousand  miles  over  a  beautiful  and  interesting 
country,  and  we  started  for  home  with  that  joyous 
and  self-satisfied  feeling  which  resulted  from  a  con 
sciousness  of  having  accomplished  the  full  object  of 
the  expedition." 

182  "The  weather  being  wet  and  foggy,"  runs  the 
journal  of  August  20,  "we  remained  encamped;  a 
party  of  men  were  sent  out  hunting,  who  killed  two 
buffalo  bulls  ;  no  buffalo  cows  were  seen.  '  ' 

ass  rpj^g  was  a  Dragoon  of  Company  A  who  died  on 
August  11,  1835.  Colonel  Dodge  directed  him  to  be 
buried  on  a  high  prairie  ridge  and  a  stone  to  be 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  grave  upon  which  were  to 
be  engraved  his  name  and  regiment. 

CHAPTER  X 

184  rpkjs  ietter  is  printed  in  full  in  Smith  ?s  History 
of  Wisconsin,  Part  II,  Vol.  I,  pp.  431,  432. 

iss  From  a  letter  of  December  7,  1835,  found  in  the 
Historical  Department  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  and 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  235 

printed  in  the  Annals  of  Iowa,  3rd  Series,  Vol.  Ill, 
pp.  293,  294. 

ass  rp^-g  commissiOD  is  preserved  in  the  Historical 
Department  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

187  Shambaugh's  The  First  Census  of  the  Original 
Counties  of  Dubuque  and  Demoine,  pp.  45,  82. 

188  Shambaugh's    Messages   and   Proclamations    of 
the  Governors  of  Iowa,  Vol.  I,  pp.  50-52. 

189Kappler's  Indian  Affairs,  Laws   and   Treaties, 
Vol.  II,  pp.  463-465. 

190Kappler's  Indian  Affairs,  Laws  and   Treaties, 
Vol.  II,  p.  473. 

191  Dodge's  Military  Order  Book,  pp.  115-117. 

192  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  V,  p.  34. 

193Kappler's  Indian  Affairs,  Laws  and   Treaties, 
Vol.  II,  pp.  474,  475. 

194  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VI,  p.  306. 

195  Catlin's  North  American  Indians,  Vol.  II,  pp. 
721,  722. 

196  Catlin's  North  American  Indians,  Vol.  II,  p.  721. 

197  From  Childs's  Recollections  of  Wisconsin  Since 
1820  in  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  IV, 
pp.  153-195.    Ebenezer  Childs  was  one  of  the  Repre 
sentatives  from  Brown  County,  and  his  narrative  il 
luminates  some  of  the  early  legislative  history  of  the 
Territory. 

198  Du  Buque  Visitor,  Vol.  I,  No.  26,  November  2, 
1836. 


236  HENRY  DODGE 

199  Shambaugh 's  Messages  and  Proclamations  of  the 
Governors  of  Iowa,  Vol.  I,  pp.  3-11. 

200Kappler's  Indian  Affairs,  Laws  and  Treaties, 
Vol.  II,  pp.  491,  492;  Minnesota  Historical  Collec 
tions,  Vol.  VI,  pp.  214-219. 

201  James  G.  Edwards  in  the  Wisconsin  Territorial 
Gazette  and  Burlington  Advertiser,  Vol.  I,  No.  14, 
October  12,  1837. 

202  Journal  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  Second 
Session  of  the  First  Legislative  Assembly  of  Wiscon 
sin,  pp.  167,  168. 

203  Journal  of  the  Council,  Second  Session  of  the 
First  Legislative  Assembly  of  Wisconsin,  pp.  6-10. 

204  Wisconsin   Territorial   Gazette   and  Burlington 
Advertiser,  Vol.  I,  No.  29,  January  27,  1838. 

205  Pound   in   the    Historical   Department    at    Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  and  printed  in  the  Annals  of  Iowa,  3rd 
Series,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  397,  398. 

206  "I  have  known  Genl.  Jones  from  his  childhood", 
wrote  Dodge.    "I  have  always  considered  him  a  high 
minded  brave  and  honorable   Gentleman     .... 
he  has  filled  several  important  Territorial  offices  with 
great  credit  to  himself  before  his  Election  as  Dele 
gate  to  congress  and  in  that  Capacity  by  his  unre- 
mitted  effort  and  industry  to  serve  the  people  of  the 
Territory  he  has  gained  their  confidence  in  a  great  de 
gree". —  From  a  manuscript  letter  in  the  Historical 
Department  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  printed  in  the  An 
nals  of  Iowa,  3rd  Series,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  398. 

207  prom  a  letter  in  the  Historical  Department  at 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  237 

Des  Moines,  Iowa,  printed  in  the  Annals  of  Iowa,  3rd 
Series,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  398,  399. 

CHAPTER  XI 

208  Journal  of  the  Council,  First  Session  of  the  Sec 
ond  Legislative  Assembly  of  Wisconsin,  pp.  6-15. 

209  Quoted  from  Ebenezer  Childs's  Recollections  of 
Wisconsin  Since  1820  in  the   Wisconsin  Historical 
Collections,  Vol.  IV,  p.  191. 

210  prom  the  message  of  January  22,  1839,  printed 
in  the  Journal  of  the  Council,  Second  Session  of  the 
Second  Legislative  Assembly  of  Wisconsin,  pp.  8-10. 

211  J.  R.  Poinsett  to  Governor  Henry  Dodge,  Febru 
ary  14,  1839. —  Printed  in  the  Appendix  to  the  Jour 
nal  of  the  Council  of  the  Second  Session  of  the  Second 
Legislative  Assembly  of  Wisconsin,  pp.  339,  340. 

212  From  the  regulations  of  March  23,  1839,  by  Sec 
retary  of  War  Poinsett  for  the  payment  of  annuities 
and  the  execution  of  treaty  stipulations. —  Found  in 
the  Papers  of  George  Boyd  (Indian  Agent  at  Green 
Bay),  Vol.  VI. 

213  Found  in  the  Madison  Express,  Vol.  I,  No.  14, 
March  7,  1840. 

214  Strong's  History   of   Wisconsin   Territory,   pp. 
292-297. 

The  vote  at  this  election  resulted  as  follows:  Doty, 
2,125;  Killbourn,  1,158;  and  Burnett,  861. 

215  Journal  of  the  Council,  Third  Session  of  the  Sec 
ond  Legislative  Assembly  of  Wisconsin,  pp.  6-19. 


238  HENRY  DODGE 

216  Madison  Express,  Vol.  I,  No.  2,  December  7, 
1839. 

21T  Strong's  History  of  Wisconsin  Territory,  p.  346. 
CHAPTER  XII 

218  Strong's  History   of   Wisconsin   Territory,   pp. 
351,  352. 

219  Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  27th  Congress, 
pp.  1,  2. 

220  Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  27th  Congress, 
p.  106. 

221  Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  27th  Congress, 
pp.  754,  755. 

222  Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  27th  Congress, 
Appendix,  pp.  668,  669. 

223  A  clear  and  judicial  account  of  this  controversy 
written    by    a    most    competent    hand    is    found    in 
Strong's  History  of  Wisconsin  Territory,  pp.  386-398. 

224  The  debate  on  this  resolution  is  to  be  found  in 
the  Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  27th  Congress, 
p.  501,  also  in  the  Appendix  to  the  same,  pp.  277-281 
and  354-356. 

Representative  Medill  in  concluding  his  speech 
said: — "The  name  of  GENERAL  DODGE  is  identified 
with  the  history  and  glory  of  the  West,  and  will  ever 
be  held  in  grateful  remembrance  by  a  people  whom 
his  chivalry  and  valor  have  defended  from  cruelty 
and  death.  Selected  for  that  purpose  by  President 
Jackson,  he  explored  the  vast  regions  of  wilderness 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  239 

on  this  side  the  Oregon,  at  the  head  of  his  invincible 
dragoons;  visited  and  entered  into  treaties  of  ainity 
with  numerous  tribes  of  Indians  hitherto  unknown; 
released  the  whites  that  were  found  in  captivity,  and 
restored  peace,  order,  and  quietude  upon  the  whole 
line  of  the  frontier.  His  extraordinary  services  and 
signal  success  drew  from  General  Gaines,  the  com 
mander  of  the  division,  a  letter  recommending  him  to 
the  notice  of  Congress,  and  suggesting  that  a  sword 
be  presented  him  as  a  token  of  the  national  gratitude. 
Honored  and  esteemed  by  the  people,  though  pro 
scribed  by  the  President,  he  was  chosen  by  the  citi 
zens  of  Wisconsin  to  represent  their  interests  upon 
this  floor,  where  he  has  again  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  one  of  those  sons  who  fought  by  his  side  at 
Wisconsin  Heights,  and  who  has  been  honored  with  a 
similar  trust  from  the  Territory  of  Iowa.  Such  is  an 
example  of  the  ' reform'  which  is  practised  by  this 
Administration. ' ' 

225  From  a  letter  to  George  W.  Jones,  dated  June 
14,  1842,  found  in  the  Historical  Department  at  Des 
Moines,  Iowa. 

226  Reports  of  Committees,  2nd  Session,  27th  Con 
gress,  Vol.  IV,  Document  897. 

227  Letter  found  in  the  Moses  M.  Strong  Collection 
of  Letters  in  the  Library  of  the  Wisconsin  State  His 
torical  Society. 

228  Strong's  History  of  Wisconsin  Territory,  p.  398. 

229  From  a  letter  dated  June  14,  1842,  found  in  the 
Historical  Department  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

230  United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  V,  p.  748. 


240  HENRY  DODGE 


text  0£  this  speech  is  to  be  found  in  the 
National  Intelligencer  (Washington),  Vol.  XLV,  No. 
6438,  March  28,  1844.  Portions  thereof  are  also  print 
ed  in  the  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  28th  Con 
gress,  p.  422  ;  and  in  Salter's  Henry  Dodge  in  the  Iowa 
Historical  Record,  Vol  XIV,  No.  3,  pp.  296-300. 

232  Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  28th  Congress, 
p.  325. 

CHAPTEE  XIII 

233  "  On  the  13th  of  May,  1845,  Hon.  Henry  Dodge 
was  appointed  Governor  of  the  Territory  in  place  of 
Nathaniel  P.  Tallmadge  removed,  being  thus  restored 
to  the  place  from  which  in  1841,  he  had  been  removed 
by  President  Tyler  to  give  place  to  James  D.  Doty." 

—  Strong's  History  of  Wisconsin  Territory,  p.  479. 

234  These  two  extracts  are  quoted  from  The  Diary  of 
James  K.  Polk  During  his  Presidency,  1845  to  1849, 
edited  by  Milo  Milton  Quaife,  Vol.  I,  pp.  56-59.     In 
this  diary  the  President  usually  speaks  of  himself  in 
the  third  person. 

235  Mineral  Point  Democrat,  Vol.  I,  Nos.  5,  9,  May  9 
and  June  6,  1845. 

236  A  list  of  the  members  of  the  Council  and  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  for  this  session  is  printed 
in  Strong's  History  of  Wisconsin  Territory,  pp.  487, 
488. 

237  printed  in  the  Journal  of  the  Council,  Fourth 
Session  of  the  Fourth  Legislative  Assembly  of  Wis 
consin,  pp.  12-22. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES 


241 


238  Strong's  History   of   Wisconsin   Territory,  pp. 
490-508. 

239  Strong 's   History   of   Wisconsin   Territory,  pp. 
490,  491. 

240  Strong's  History   of   Wisconsin   Territory,  pp. 
509-512,  526. 

241  Journal  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  First 
Session  of  the  Fifth  Legislative  Assembly  of  Wiscon 
sin,  pp.  11-18. 

242  Donaldson's  The  Public  Domain,  p.  255. 

243  Strong's  History   of   Wisconsin   Territory,   pp. 
532-550. 

244  The  history  of  this  Constitution  is  taken  prin 
cipally  from  Strong's  History  of  Wisconsin  Terri 
tory,  pp.  561-583. 

45  Journal  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  Second 
Session  of  the  Fifth  Legislative  Assembly  of  Wiscon 
sin,  pp.  12-18. 

246  Poore  's  Charters  and  Constitutions,  Part  II,  pp. 
2047-2049. 

247  On  July  20,  1848,  Henry  Dodge  wrote  to  John 
Catlin  and  quoted  with  approval  a  letter  by  Secretary 
of  State  James  Buchanan  who  held  that  the  laws  of 
the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  remained  in  force  in  that 
part  of  the  Northwest  Territory  from  which  Wiscon 
sin  had  been  detached.    It  was  believed  that  Congress 
would  not  leave  the  people  of  this  region  (now  a  part 
of  the  State  of  Minnesota)  outside  the  pale  of  laws 
and  government.—  Found  in  the  Catlin  Papers  in  the 
library  of  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society. 

16 


242  HENRY  DODGE 

248  A  treatment  of  the  administrations  of  the  Terri 
torial  Governors  of  the  Old  Northwest  is  to  be  found 
in  McCarty's  The  Territorial  Governors  of  the  Old 
Northwest,  published  by  The  State  Historical  Society 
of  Iowa. 


commonwealths  formed  out  of 
the  Territory  Northwest  of  the  River  Ohio,  with  their 
thirteen  and  a  half  millions  of  population;  their  ma 
terial,  intellectual,  and  moral  resources;  their  vast 
wealth  of  achievements  and  still  vaster  wealth  of  pos 
sibilities,  are  the  grandest  testimonial  to  the  Ordi 
nance  of  1787,  to  the  men  who  framed  it,  and  to  the 
pioneers  who  laid  their  foundations.  '  '-  -  Hinsdale  's 
The  Old  Northwest,  pp.  333,  334. 

CHAPTEE  XIV 

250  Journal  of  the  Senate,  First  Legislature  of  Wis 
consin,  p.  21.    The  full  vote  stood  :  Walker,  61  ;  Dodge, 
60  ;  Whiton,  17  ;  Collins,  18  ;  William  S.  Hamilton,  1  ; 
John  H.  Tweedy,  1. 

251  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  30th  Congress, 
p.  870. 

'  '  FRIDAY,  23rd  June,  1848.  —  I  was  in  my  office  this 
morning.  Many  persons  called.  Among  others  Gen'l 
H.  Dodge,  one  of  the  recently  elected  Senators  in 
Congress  from  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  called."  — 
From  The  Diary  of  James  K.  Polk  During  his  Presi 
dency,  1845  to  1849,  edited  by  Milo  Milton  Quaife, 
Vol.  Ill,  p.  498. 

252Benton's  Thirty  Years'  View,  Vol.  II,  p.  723. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  243 

53  Shepard 's  Van  Buren  (Standard  Library  Edi 
tion),  p.  427. 

254Salter's  Henry  Dodge  in  the  Iowa  Historical 
Record,  Vol.  XIV,  No.  3,  p.  304. 

235  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  31st  Congress, 
pp.  762,  763. 

256  Senator    James    A.    Pearce    was    appointed    in 
Dodge's  place  on  the  committee  which  subpoenaed 
witnesses  and  collected  evidence.    On  July  30th  they 
made  a  report,  accompanied  by  an  appendix  contain 
ing  in  135  pages,  the  full  record  of  the  sittings  of  the 
committee.    No  action  was  recommended  by  the  com 
mittee  who,  nevertheless,  felt  bound  to  say  that  "the 
whole  scene  was  most  discreditable  to  the  Senate ' '  and 
that  the   practice   of   carrying   arms   in  the   Senate 
chamber   could    not    be    too    strongly    condemned. — 
Senate  Reports,  1st  Session,   31st  Congress,  Vol.   I, 
Doc.  No.  170. 

257  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  30th  Congress, 
p.  1002. 

258  Senate  Journal,  1st  Session,  31st  Congress,  pp. 
543,  557,  561,  583,  637. 

259  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  VII,  pp. 
378,  379. 

260  Congressional  Globe,  2nd  Session,  31st  Congress, 
p.  212. 

261  Journal  of  the  Assembly,  Third  Annual  Session 
of  the  Legislature  of  Wisconsin,  pp.  97,  98. 

262  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  33rd  Congress, 
p.  532. 


244  HENRY  DODGE 

263  Congressional  Globe,  1st  Session,  34th  Congress, 
Appendix,  p.  805. 

CHAPTER  XV 

264  Salter 's  Henry  Dodge  in  the  Iowa  Historical 
Record,  Vol.  XIV,  No.  3,  p.  304. 

265  Of  the  thirteen  children  born  to  Henry  Dodge 
eight  or  nine  grew  to  maturity.     The  fourth  child, 
Henry  Lafayette,  who  served  with  his  father  in  the 
Black  Hawk  War,  was  burned  at  the  stake  in  Arizona 
Territory  in  1856  by  the  Apache  Indians.    Augustus 
Caesar,  the  fifth  child,  was  a  contemporary  colleague 
of  his  father  for  six  years  in  the  United  States  Senate. 
Christiana  Helen,  the  tenth  child,  became  the  wife  of 
James  Clarke,  the  last  Governor  of  the  Territory  of 
Iowa. 

266  Letter  by  J.  S.  Gallagher  to  Benj.  B.  Gallagher, 
dated  August  31,  1832,  at  Fort  Armstrong.     Found 
in  the  Gallagher  Collection  of  Letters  in  the  Library 
of  the  State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin. 

287  From  a  speech  by  Augustus  Caesar  Dodge  on 
the  Kansas-Nebraska  Bill. —  Congressional  Globe,  1st 
Session,  33rd  Congress,  Appendix,  pp.  375-383. 

268  jrrom  a  letter  to  Captain  Linn  dated  at  Wash 
ington,  January  26,  1833,  reprinted  from  the  Van- 
dalia  Whig  in  the  Illinois  Advocate,  Vol.  II,  No.  27, 
March  2,  1833. 

269  Section  VII  of  the  Organic  Act  of  the  Territory 
of  Iowa. 


NOTES  AND  REFERENCES  245 

270  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  V,  pp.  173- 
177. 

271  Dodge's  Tristram  Dodge  and  Descendants,  pp. 
166,  167. 

272  Salter's  Henry  Dodge  in  the  loiva  Historical 
Record,  Vol.  XIV,  No.  3,  pp.  308,  309. 

273  Acts,  xiii,  36. 


INDEX 


247 


INDEX 


Adams,  Charles  Francis,  nomina 
tion  of,  for  Vice  President,  186 

Adams,  John  Quincy,  purpose  of 
amendment  by,  170;  withdrawal 
of  amendment  by,  170;  Indians 
pardoned  by,  217 

Africa,   visit  of  Dodge  to,   3 

Aldrich,   Charles,   letter  to,   214 

Alexander,  Milton  K.,  49,  61,  64; 
pursuit  of  Black  Hawk  by,  60; 
position  of,  in  order  of  battle,  63 

Alleghanies,    12 

America,  coming  of  Tristram 
Dodge  to,  1 

American  House  (Madison),  con 
vening  of  Legislative  Assembly 
in,  148;  political  headquarters  at, 
148.  149 

Angry  Man,  meeting  of,  with  Dra 
goons,  116,  117;  conference  of, 
with  Dodge,  117;  Dodge  invited 
to  lodge  of,  117;  council  held  at 
lodge  of,  118,  119;  statement  by, 
119 

Anti-slavery  Whigs,    186 

Apache  Indians,  son  of  Henry 
Dodge  burned  at  stake  by,  244 

Appanoose,  presence  of,  in  council, 
135 

Apple   River,    52 

Arapaho  Indians,  118,  119,  123; 
encampment  of,  on  Arkansas  Riv 
er,  122,  123 

Arbuckle,  Colonel,  garrison  com 
manded  by,  68,  87,  88 

Arickara  Indians,  collecting  of,  by 
Captain  Gantt,  119,  120;  de 
scription  of,  120;  number  of, 
120;  replies  of  chiefs  of,  121; 
gift  from  chief  of,  to  Dodge,  121; 
presents  given  by,  125 ;  arrival 
of,  at  Cheyenne  village,  125 

Arizona  Territory,   244 

Arkansas,  89 

Arkansas  River,  fort  on,  71;  ref 
erence  to,  95,  113,  124,  125; 
encampment  on,  122 ;  marches 
along,  123,  126 

Arkansas  Territory,  fort  in,  68; 
reference  to,  87,  88 

Arnold,  Jonathan  E.,  campaign  of 
Dodge  against,  158 


Arrow  Rock,  crossing  of  Missouri 
River  at,  24 

Ashley,  Mr.,  appointment  of  Dodge 
urged  by,  130 

Assembly  Hall,  meeting  of  Legis 
lative  Assembly  in,  149 ;  condi 
tions  surrounding  legislators  in 
149 

Atkinson,  Henry,  arrival  of,  at  Ga 
lena  ;  cooperation  of  Dodge  with, 
42 ;  march  of  forces  of,  43 ;  ref 
erence  to,  48,  49,  56,  61;  action 
of,  with  regard  to  Illinois  inva 
sion,  50;  order  by,  52,  75;  con 
ference  of  Dodge  with,  55 ;  re 
port  of  Dodge  to,  57-59,  73,  74; 
pursuit  of  Black  Hawk  by,  60; 
order  of  battle  arranged  by,  63; 
service  rendered  to,  65 ;  warning 
sent  to,  65 

Axe,  chief  of  Pawnee  Loups,   118 

Bad    Axe,    Battle    of,    45,    49,    222; 

account     of,     63-65 ;     participants 

in,    64;   Atkinson's  report  of,   64; 

results  of,   64,  65 
Bad    Axe    River,    41;    discovery    of 

Black  Hawk  near,   63 
Banks,    incorporation    of,     138;    in 
vestigation    of,    urged    by    Dodge, 

147;    attitude    of    Dodge    toward. 

155 ;   constitutional  restriction  on, 

181 
Barnburners,     convention     held    by, 

185;   nominations  by,   185,    186* 
Barton,   David,    23,    27 
Bean,  Jesse,  instructions  to,   71 
Beatte,    speech    by,    105 ;    killing    of 

buffalo   by,    110 
Beardstown      (Illinois),     assembling 

of    militia    at,    47,    50 ;    march    of 

forces  from,   50 
Beekes,    Benjamin    V.,    location    of 

company    of,    70;    orders    to,    73; 

demand  for  discharge  of  company 

of,    77,    78;    furlough   granted   to, 

78 
Bellevue,    claim    of,    for    Territorial 

capital,   138 
Belmont,     convening    of    Legislative 

Assembly  at.    136:   description   of, 

136,    137;   reference  to,    140,    165 

249 


1250 


INDEX 


Beloit  (Wisconsin),  59;  appropri 
ation  for  improvement  of  road  to, 
170 

Beloit  College,  incorporation  of,   177 

Bent,  Mr.,  fort  of  St.  Vrain  and, 
123 ;  trade  carried  on  by,  123 

Benton,  Thomas  H.,  credentials  of 
Dodge  presented  by,  185 ;  person 
al  friendship  between  Dodge  and, 
186,  196;  results  of  debate  be 
tween  Foote  and,  187;  differences 
between  Dodge  and,  196 

Big  Elk,  friendly  attitude  of,  116; 
character  of,  116 

Black  Hawk,  22,  54;  sketch  of  life 
of,  45,  219;  validity  of  treaty  de 
nied  by,  46 ;  crossing  of  Missis 
sippi  by,  46 ;  burning  of  village 
of,  47;  desire  of,  for  peace,  47; 
command  of,  in  Black  Hawk  War, 
49;  wrath  of,  against  whites,  49; 
messengers  sent  to,  50;  pursuit 
of,  50,  60-63 ;  movements  of  band 
of,  52 ;  crossing  of,  into  Michigan 
Territory,  59;  encampments  of, 
61;  discovery  of,  63;  Indian  at 
tack  led  by,  63 ;  capture  of,  65, 
224;  silence  of,  in  council,  135; 
character  of,  217 

Black  Hawk  Purchase  treaty,  sign 
ing  of,  by  Dodge,  71 ;  importance 
of,  71,  72 

Black  Hawk  War,  2,  36,  44,  186, 
244;  Dodge's  services  in,  45,  49- 
66.  83,  199;  beginning  of,  47, 
48 ;  numbers  engaged  in,  49 ; 
principal  engagements  of,  49 ; 
causes  of,  49;  most  disastrous 
encounter  of,  51;  account  of,  in 
newspapers,  51,  52;  termination 
of,  65;  cost  of,  65;  effect  of,  on 
migration,  65,  66 ;  applications 
for  pensions  for  service  in,  189; 
sources  on.  218-220;  sketch  rel 
ative  to,  222 ;  activities  of  Lang- 
worthys  in,  222 

Black  Dog,  Osage  Indians  under 
command  of,  96 

Black  River,   222 

Blackfoot  Indians,   123 

Block,  Adrian,  discovery  of  "Block 
Eylandt"  by,  1 

Block  Island,  discovery  of,  1;  first 
settlers  of,  1 ;  land  on,  sold  by 
Dodge,  2  ;  history  of,  207 

Blue  Mound  Fort,  55 

Blue  Mounds,    60,    63 

Blue-coat,  chief  of  Pawnee  Repub 
lics,  117,  118 

"Bonne  Homme"  settlement,  mar 
riage  of  Dodge  in,  14 

Boone,  Daniel  M.,  23 ;  support  of 
Dodge  by,  25 


Boone,  Nathan,  27 ;  instructions  to. 
70,  71,  72 

Boone  Lick  Settlement,  Indian  at 
tacks  on,  22 ;  reference  to,  23 ; 
arrival  of  Dodge's  force  at,  24 

Boston,  arrival  of  Dodge  at,  7 

Bracken,    Charles,    31 

Brandywine,  Battle  of,  Dodge  in, 
4 ;  reference  to.  10 

Brant,  I.  B.,  78 

Brigham,   Ebenezer,   31 

British,  capture  of  Dodge  by,  6; 
Black  Hawk  in  service  of,  45 

British  Band  of  Rock  River,   47 

British  traders,  Indians  aroused 
by,  21,  22 

Brown  County  (Wisconsin),  Rep 
resentative  from,  235 

Browne,  Jesse  B.,  location  of  com 
pany  of,  70 ;  reports  to  be  sent 
by,  72 ;  instructions  to.  72,  73, 
78;  reference  to,  96,  230 

Buchanan,   James,   241 

Buffalo  (New  York),  National  Free 
Soil  Convention  held  at,  186;  de 
scription  of  journey  from,  227 

Buffalo,  hunting  of,  taught  Dra 
goons,  90;  killing  of,  109,  110, 
126;  last  sight  of,  by  Dragoons, 
110;  first  herd  of,  seen  by  Dra 
goons,  119 

Buffalo  Grove  (Illinois),  52;  In- 
dian  murders  near,  54 

Bull  Run,  Battle  of,  prototype  of, 
51 

Bullett,  George,  assurance  of  friend 
ship  by,  106 

Burlington  (Iowa),  30;  claim  of, 
for  Territorial  capital,  138;  leg 
islative  sessions  held  at,  139,  140, 
143 ;  hospitality  provided  by, 
140;  home  of  Augustus  Caesar 
Dodge  at,  193;  death  of  Christi 
ana  Dodge  at,  193 ;  death  of 
Henry  Dodge  at,  193 ;  monument 
to  Dodge  at,  204 

Burnett,  Thomas  P.,  independent 
candidacy  of,  for  Delegate,  154; 
vote  for,  237 

Burr,   Aaron,   conspiracy  of,    18,    19 

Calhoun,  John  C.,  186 

California,  bill  for  admission  of, 
188 

Camanche  Indians,  95,  102;  ar 
rival  of,  at  Dodge's  camp.  97, 
98,  101,  106;  character  of,  98; 
arrival  of  Dodge  at  camp  of,  98 ; 
council  held  with,  107,  108,  111; 
Dodge  accompanied  by  represen 
tative  of,  108,  109 

Camanche   village,    location    of,    94 

Camp   Jackson,   permanent   quarters 


INDEX 


251 


of  Dragoons  at,  89 ;  escort  sent 
from,  91;  arrival  of  Leaven  worth 
at,  91 ;  arrival  of  troops  at,  92 ; 
reference  to,  229 

Camp  Leavenworth,  troops  left  at, 
97 

Campbell,  Mr.,  murder  of,  by  In 
dians,  25 

Canterbury  (Connecticut),  removal 
of  Dodge  to,  2 ;  reference  to,  3 

Canada,  loyalty  of  Black  Hawk  to, 
45 

Cape  Girardeau    (Missouri),  23 

Capital,  Territorial,  contest  for  lo 
cation  of,  138 

Capitol  (Iowa),  building  stone  for, 
10 

Capitol  (Wisconsin),  bust  of  Dodge 
in  Governor's  room  of,  204 

Carlisle  (Pennsylvania),  Hunter 
family  at,  4 

Cass,  Lewis,  memorial  addressed  to, 
36,  37;  Indian  uprising  prevent 
ed  by,  44 ;  praise  of  Dodge  by, 
112;  reference  to,  132,  144,  186: 
Kansas-Nebraska  Bill  supported 
by,  191;  report  by,  230;  praise 
of  Dragoons  by,  232 

Cassville,  claim  of,  for  Territorial 
capital,  138 

Catlin,  George,  expedition  accom 
panied  by,  95;  description  of  In 
dian  council  by,  101,  135;  refer 
ence  to,  102;  praise  of  Dragoon 
campaign  by.  112;  contribution 
of.  relative  to  Indians,  230 

Catlin,  John,  letter  of  Dodge  to, 
241 

Chaetar,  Black  Hawk  captured  by, 
224 

Chambers,   John,   200 

Chase,  Salmon  P  ,  Kansas-Nebraska 
Bill  opposed  by,  190.  191 

Cherokee  Indians,  relations  of,  with 
Dragoons,  89;  expedition  joined 
by,  95 ;  reference  to,  105 ;  coun 
cil  held  with,  111 

Cheyenne  Indians,  118,  119;  vil 
lages  of,  123 ;  fondness  of,  for 
whiskey,  123 ;  supposed  attack 
on,  124;  presents  given  and  re 
ceived  by,  125 

Chicago,   70,    162 

Chicago   Historical    Society,    220 

Childs,   Ebenezer,   235 

Chippewa  County  (Wisconsin), 
failure  of,  to  elect  delegate,  178 

Chippewa  Indians,  treaty  with,  39, 
215;  maintenance  of  peace  with, 
91;  messengers  sent  to,  139;  as 
sembling  of,  for  grand  council, 
139,  140;  habits  of,  153 

Choctaw  Indians,  council  held  with, 
111 


Cholera,  ravages  of,  among  rangers, 
69 

Chouteau,   Auguste,   27 

Clark,  George  Rogers,  capture  of 
forts  by,  5,  6,  13 

Clark,  William,  militia  organized  by, 
22;  reference  to,  27,  32,  132 

Clark  County   (Missouri),  207 

Clarke,  James,  marriage  of,  to 
Christiana  Helen  Dodge,  244 

Clay,  Henry,  Dodge  a  pall-bearer  at 
funeral  of,  186 

Clayton,   P.,  letter  from,  225 

Clyman,  James,  detachment  under, 
78 

Colchester  (Connecticut),  removal 
of  Dodge  to,  2 

Collins,  Alexander  L.,  candidacy  of, 
for  Senator,  185 ;  vote  for,  242 

Colonies,  revolt  of.  3 

Colorado,  march  through,   113 

Commerce,  Committee  on,  service  of 
Dodge  on,  190 

Company  I  (Dragoons),  chronicler 
of,  110 

Congress,  7,  80,  164,  175,  194;  pe 
titions  to,  67,  128,  129.  180; 
prevention  of  favorable  action  by, 
129;  acts  passed  by,  134,  179; 
memorials  to,  urged  by  Dodge, 
137,  146,  147,  148,  155,  176, 
177;  agitation  for  new  Territory 
in,  143 ;  law  permitted  by.  146 ; 
veto  power  limited  by  act  of,  150 ; 
appropriation  made  by,  150,  163 ; 
recommendation  for  memorial  to, 
156;  sixth  census  authorized  by, 
156;  attitude  of,  toward  Terri 
tory  of  Wisconsin,  169;  services 
of  Dodge  in,  172,  197 

Congress  of  the  Confederation, 
ideals  formulated  by,  183,  184 

Connecticut,  3 

Constitution  (Wisconsin),  appor 
tionment  of  delegates  for  framing 
of,  178;  drafting  of.  179;  sub 
mission  of,  to  vote  of  people,  179; 
campaign  against,  181;  objection 
able  features  of,  181;  defeat  of, 
181;  adoption  of,  182;  history  of, 
241 

Constitutional  Convention  (Wiscon 
sin),  provision  for  second,  182; 
adjournment  of,  182 

Cook,   Nathaniel,   23,   27 

Cooke,   Philip  St.   George,   83 

Cooper,   Benjamin,   23 

Cooper,  Sarshall,  23,  26;  threat  of, 
25 

Cooper   County    (Missouri).    22 

Corporations,  attitude  of  Dodge  to 
ward,  155 

Council  (Wisconsin  Territory), 
number  of  members  of,  175;  "at- 


INDEX 


tack  on  Constitution  in,   181;   list 

of  members   of,    240 
Craig,   James,   222 
Crawford       County        (Wisconsin), 

troops  furnished  by,   180 
Creek    Indians,     relations    of.     with 

Dragoons,    89;    reference   to,    105 
Crittenden,     Thomas     T.,     duel     be 
tween  Fenwick  and,  20 
Cruson,   Thomas,    175 
Currency,     condition    of,     in    West, 

155 
Cutler,   Lieutenant  Colonel,  garrison 

commanded  by,  68 

Danville  (Illinois),  winter  quarters 
near,  72 

Daugherty,   Mr.,   23 

Davenport,  Colonel,  life  of  Black 
Hawk  based  on  statements  of, 
219 

Davenport  (Iowa),  treaty  signed  on 
present  site  of,  71,  133,  134 

Davis,  Jefferson,  83 ;  opposition  of, 
to  Dodge,  92;  service  of,  with 
Dragoons,  186 

Decorah,  One-eyed,  Black  Hawk 
captured  by,  229 

Defiance    (Wisconsin),  55 

Delaware  Indians,  expedition  joined 
by,  95;  assurance  of  friendship 
of,  106 

Delegate  to  Congress,  campaign  for 
election  of,  153,  154;  career  of 
Dodge  as,  158-171 

Democrats,  nominee  of,  for  Dele 
gate  to  Congress,  154;  charges 
against,  157;  nomination  of 
Dodge  by,  158;  sentiment  of, 
with  regard  to  appointment  of 
Dodge,  173 

Demoine  County  (Territory  of  Wis 
consin),  population  of,  131 

Denver    (Colorado).   234 

Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad, 
route  of,  234 

Des  Moines  County  (original  Ter 
ritory  of  Wisconsin),  139 

Des  Moines  River,  passing  of  rapids 
of,  30 

Detroit,  captivity  of  Dodge  at,  6; 
reference  to,  35,  36 

Dewey,    Nelson,    175 

Dickinson,   Daniel   S.,    187 

Distribution  Act,    179 

District    of    Columbia,    bill    for    sup 
pression  of  slave  trade  in,   188 
'    Divorce,  laws  relative  to,    178 

Dixon's  Ferry,  50,  74 ;  arrival  of 
Dodge  at,  52,  53 

Dodge,  Augustus  Caesar,  statement 
by.  29.  53,  198;  reference  to,  52, 
244 :  Delegate  from  Territory  of 
Iowa,  159;  attitude  of,  toward 


duty  on  lead,  161;  results  of  ef 
forts  of,  in  behalf  of  Iowa,  168; 
Kansas-Nebraska  Bill  supported 
by,  191;  home  of,  193;  speech 
by,  207,  244;  comment  relative 
to,  213,  214 

Dodge,  Christiana,  death  of,  193 ; 
marriage  of,  244 

Dodge,  Henry,  ancestry  and  early 
life  of,  1 ;  birth  of,  13 ;  early  boy 
hood  of,  13 ;  incident  in  early 
life  of.  13,  14;  removal  of,  to  Ste. 
Genevieve,  14;  early  activities  of. 
14;  marriage  of,  to  Christina 
McDonald,  14,  15 ;  service  of,  as 
Deputy  Sheriff,  15 ;  character  of 
life  of,  16 ;  part  of,  in  history  of 
Missouri,  16 ;  residence  of.  in 
Missouri,  17,  196;  indictment  of, 
17,  19;  service  of,  as  Sheriff,  17, 
18 ;  sessions  of  court  held  at 
home  of,  18;  executions  during 
administration  of,  18;  connec 
tion  of,  with  Burr  expedition,  19 : 
grand  jury  whipped  by,  19,  20: 
trustee  of  Academy,  20 ;  part  of. 
in  duel,  20;  appointment  of,  as 
Marshal,  20:  military  rank  of, 
21;  commissions  of,  21,  22,  52, 
67,  210-213;  force  under  com 
mand  of,  23,  41,  42;  march  of, 
24,  42,  43,  97-100;  lives  of  In 
dians  saved  by,  25,  43;  part  of, 
in  War  of  1812,  26;  capacity  of, 
for  treaty-making,  26,  27;  trea 
ties  made  by,  27,  34,  71,  132, 
133,  134.  135;  lead-mining  ac 
tivities  of,  27,  28-38,  214,  215; 
orders  to,  23,  75,  91;  delegate  to 
constitutional  convention,  27;  ac 
tivity  of,  in  salt-making.  28,  29; 
migration  of,  29,  40;  burial- 
place  of,  30 ;  location  of,  near 
Dodgeville,  31;  friendly  relations 
of,  with  Indians,  31;  smelter 
built  by,  31;  fortified  position  of, 
33;  refusal  of,  to  leave  mining 
region,  34;  shipment  of  lead  by, 
34;  purchase  of  Indian  lands  by, 
34;  influence  of,  in  lead  region. 
35;  statement  by,  35,  56,  236; 
election  of,  to  Council,  36;  views 
of,  concerning  division  of  Michi 
gan  Territory,  36,  37;  mining  in 
dustry  abandoned  by,  38;  begin 
ning  of  military  career  of,  39; 
arrival  of,  at  Galena,  41;  cooper 
ation  of,  with  Atkinson,  42 :  fron 
tier  protection  urged  by.  44 ;  ref 
erence  to,  45,  48,  77,  94,  96,  140, 
224,  242 ;  command  of,  in  Black 
Hawk  War,  49;  letter  to,  52,  72, 
167,  225,  237;  expedition  of, 
52,  53,  54.  94-112,  113;  ar- 


INDEX 


253 


rival  of,  at  Dixon's  Ferry,  52, 
53 ;  arrival  of,  at  Fort  Union,  53, 
56,  57 ;  headquarters  of,  53 ; 
counsel  given  by,  54,  124,  125 ; 
return  of,  to  headquarters,  54; 
raising  of  troops  by,  54;  release 
of  prisoners  secured  by,  54;  ac 
tivities  of  troops  under,  54,  55 ; 
character  of  troops  under,  55 ; 
speech  by,  55,  101-104,  120,  121, 
192,  240;  conference  of,  with  At 
kinson,  55;  arrival  of,  at  Fort 
Hamilton,  57;  encounter  of,  with 
Indians,  57;  report  of  battle  of 
Pecatonica  by,  57-59;  activities 
of,  at  Galena,  59,  60;  pursuit  of 
Black  Hawk  by,  60-63:  Indians 
overtaken  by,  61,  62 :  position  of, 
in  order  of  battle,  63 ;  losses  in 
battalion  under,  64 ;  arrival  of, 
at  Fort  Crawford,  65 ;  service 
rendered  by,  to  Atkinson,  65 ; 
command  of,  in  Black  Hawk  War, 
66;  service  of,  in  Black  Hawk 
War,  66,  199;  service  of,  with 
Mounted  Rangers,  67-79;  mili 
tary  record  of,  67,  80,  130;  sal 
ary  of.  as  Major,  69 ;  command 
of  Rangers  by,  70;  orders  by, 

72,  73,  74,   78 ;  reports  to  be  sent 
to,     72 ;    report    of,    to    Atkinson, 

73,  74:    letter   from,    74.    81,    82, 
142,     143,     165,     166,     169.     215, 
226,     227,     230,     232,     233,     234, 
235,    236,    241;    meeting  of,   with 
Winnebago    chiefs,     74;    approval 
of    movements    of,     by    Atkinson, 
75 ;    search    of.    for    Indian    mur 
derers,    75,    76 ;    talk  by,    to   Win 
nebago  chiefs,  76;  furlough  grant 
ed  by,    78;    service  of,   as   Colonel 
of  Dragoons,    80-93 ;    appointment 
of,    as    Colonel    of   Dragoons,    80 ; 
assistance   of,    in   organizing  Dra 
goons,   81;   titles  of,   81,   199;   de 
scription     of,     by     Dragoon,     83 ; 
quarters  of,   84 ;   order  issued  up 
on    recommendation   of,    86 ;    com 
mand    of    Dragoons    assumed    by. 
86,     87;     report     of,     concerning 
Fort      Gibson,      87,      88;      orders 
awaited    by,     89;    views    of,    pre 
sented  to  Jones,   89,    90;    division 
of     Dragoons     recommended     by, 
90 ;    account   of,    concerning   Dra 
goons,    91,   92 ;   opposition   of  Ma 
son   and  Davis  to,   92 ;    arrival  of 
Camanches    at    camp    of,    97,    98; 
arrival     of,     at    Camanche    camp, 
98;   encampment  of,   100;   council 
held  by,    101-108.    106,    107,    111, 
115,     116,     118,     119,     123,     124, 
125 :    exchange    of    captives    made 
by,    103 ;  meeting  of,  with  Indian 


chief,  104;  assurances  given  to, 
105;  peace  maintained  by,  107; 
return  of  Kiowa  prisoner  by,  107, 
108;  visit  of  chiefs  to,  108;  re 
turn  of,  to  Fort  Gibson,  110;  de 
scription  of  Pawnee  expedition 
by,  111,  112;  praise  of,  112;  de 
parture  of,  from  Fort  Leaven - 
worth,  113 ;  provisions  issued  to 
Omahas  by,  116;  conference  of, 
with  Angry  Man,  117;  invitation 
of,  to  lodge  of  Angry  Man,  117; 
assistance  offered  to,  by  Pawnees, 
119;  gift  to,  from  Arickara  chief. 
121;  presents  distributed  by,  121, 
124 ;  expressions  of  good  will  to 
ward,  124;  arrival  of,  at  Chey 
enne  village,  124;  Governor  of 
Original  Territory  of  Wisconsin, 
128-144;  beginning  of  political 
career  of,  128;  division  of  Terri 
tory  of  Michigan  urged  by,  128; 
interest  of,  in  division  of  Michi 
gan  Territory,  129;  qualifications 
of,  for  governorship,  129;  hopes 
for  governorship  expressed  by, 
129,  130;  appointment  of,  as 
Governor,  130,  235,  240;  oath  of 
office  taken  by,  130;  area  under 
jurisdiction  of,  130;  period  cov 
ered  by  administration  of,  130, 
131;  salary  of,  as  Governor,  131; 
veto  power  of,  131;  qualifications 
of,  for  Superintendent  of  Indian 
Affairs,  131;  census  ordered  by, 
131;  election  called  by,  131;  ap 
portionment  of  members  of  Legis 
lative  Assembly  by,  131,  132;  ac 
tivities  of,  as  Superintendent  of 
Indian  Affairs,  132-136,  139. 
140 ;  views  of,  concerning  land 
cession,  133 ;  Legislative  Assem 
bly  convened  by,  136;  criticism 
of,  for  choice  of  capital,  136, 
137;  attitude  of,  toward  location 
of  capital,  138;  suspected  of 
corruption  and  bargaining,  138; 
journey  of,  to  Fort  Snelling,  139; 
recommendations  by,  141:  mes 
sage  of,  141,  145-148,  154.  155, 
156,  157,  175-177,  179,  180, 
237;  departure  of,  for  Mineral 
Point.  141,  142 ;  editorial  com 
ment  relative  to,  142,  154;  ad 
ministrative  activities  of,  142 ; 
desire  of,  for  retirement,  142 ; 
significance  of  administration  of, 
143 ;  use  of  executive  power  by, 
144 :  character  of  administration 
of.  144,  201.  202;  Governor  of 
Wisconsin  Territory,  145-157, 
372-184;  period  of  administra 
tion  of,  145 ;  change  in  office 
tenure  urged  by,  146 ;  views  of, 


254 


INDEX 


concerning  preemption  rights  for 
lead  miners,  148 ;  correspondence 
between  War  Department  and, 
150:  duties  of,  as  Superintendent 
of  Indian  Affairs,  151-153,  200; 
memorials  forwarded  by,  152 ;  re 
port  of,  to  Commissioner  of  In 
dian  Affairs,  152;  removal  of 
Winnebagoes  urged  by.  152 ;  de 
sire  for  continuance  of  adminis 
tration  of,  157;  successor  to, 
157;  career  of,  as  Delegate,  158- 
171;  unanimous  nomination  of, 
for  Delegate  to  Congress,  158 ; 
campaign  of,  against  Arnold,  158: 
vote  cast  for,  158,  242;  oath  of 
office  taken  by,  158 ;  salary  and 
duties  of,  as  Delegate,  159,  160; 
memorials  sent  to,  159 ;  efforts  of, 
to  secure  legislation,  160 ;  defense 
of  mining  interests  by,  160,  161 : 
bill  introduced  by,  162 ;  expen 
ditures  for  harbor  improvements 
estimated  by,  162 ;  controversy 
of,  against  Doty,  163-169;  reso 
lution  by,  164;  adoption  of  reso 
lution  of,  165 ;  request  of,  for  re 
moval  of  Doty,  167,  168;  results 
of  efforts  of,  as  Delegate,  168 ; 
appropriation  secured  by.  169, 
170;  protest  of,  against  disband 
ing  of  Dragoons,  170;  attempt  of, 
to  secure  appropriation,  171;  ex 
perience  gained  by,  172 ;  duties 
of  Governor  resumed  by,  172 ; 
reasons  for  appointment  of,  173; 
attitude  of,  toward  Tallmadge, 
174;  return  of,  to  Mineral  Point, 
174;  dinner  tendered  to,  174; 
Dragoon  escort  of,  174;  nomina 
tions  to  office  by,  177;  bill  rela 
tive  to  Statehood  signed  by,  178; 
apportionment  of  delegates  to 
Constitutional  Convention  by, 
178 ;  extra  session  of  legislature 
called  by,  181,  182;  Statehood 
urged  by,  182;  comment  of,  on 
Mexican  War,  183 :  end  of  exec 
utive  career  of,  183 ;  career  of, 
as  Senator,  185-192 ;  reward  of, 
for  service,  185;  election  of,  as 
Senator,  185;  credentials  of,  pre 
sented,  185 ;  expiration  of  term 
of.  185 ;  nomination  of,  for  Vice 
President,  185,  186;  nomination 
declined  by,  186;  pall-bearer  at 
funeral  of  Clay,  186;  friendship 
between  Benton  and,  187,  196; 
interference  of,  in  quarrel  in 
Senate.  187;  attitude  of,  toward 
disorder  in  Senate,  187,  188;  at 
titude  of,  toward  slavery,  188, 
196,  197 ;  service  of,  on  commit 
tees.  190;  reelection  of,  as  Sena 


tor,  190;  attitude  of,  toward 
Kansas-Nebraska  Bill,  190,  191. 
197;  character  and  services  of. 
193-204;  retirement  of,  193;  end 
of  secession  and  slavery  wit 
nessed  by,  193 ;  death  of  wife  of, 
193;  death  of,  193;  versatile  ca 
reer  of,  194 ;  physical  appearance 
of,  194;  literary  style  of,  194. 
195;  education  of,  194;  positive 
elements  in  character  of,  195 ;  po 
litical  ideas  of,  195,  196;  differ 
ences  between  Benton  and,  196 : 
slaves  owned  by,  196.  197;  atti 
tude  of,  toward  public  questions, 
188 ;  attitude  of,  toward  compro 
mise  measures,  188,  189,  197; 
adherence  of,  to  instructions. 
188,  189;  petitions  and  memo 
rials  presented  by,  189,  190;  loy 
alty  of,  to  constituents,  197: 
character  of  services  of,  in  Con 
gress,  197;  capacities  of.  197: 
frontier  life  of,  197,  198, 
199 ;  violation  of  Federal  laws 
by,  198 ;  unharmonious  views 
of,  198 ;  attitude  of,  toward 
nullification,  198,  199 ;  con 
tributions  of,  to  western  de 
velopment,  199 ;  career  of,  as 
Territorial  executive.  199;  Indian 
campaigns  of,  199;  knowledge  of. 
concerning  Indian  character. 
199 ;  zenith  of  public  career 
200 ;  success  of  western  expedi 
tions  of,  200 ;  influence  of,  on 
legislation,  201;  use  of  veto  pow 
er  by,  201;  resolutions  on  death 
of,  203;  tribute  to,  203,  204,  238, 
239 ;  recognition  of  services  of, 
204;  bust  of,  204;  epitaph  on 
monument  of,  204;  sketches  of. 
207;  incident  connected  with 
birth  of,  209;  naming  of,  209: 
information  furnished  by,  213; 
removal  of,  to  Galena,  213,  214: 
election  of,  as  Chief  Justice,  215: 
enlistment  of  Langworthv  under, 
222 ;  colors  presented  to,  223 ;  re 
ply  of,  223  ;  account  of  Battle  of 
Wisconsin  Heights  by  223,  224; 
Military  Order  Book  of,  225. 
226 ;  praise  of  command  of,  232 : 
burial  of  Dragoon  directed  by, 
234;  debate  on  resolution  by. 
238;  removal  of,  240;  children 
of,  244 

Dodge,  Henry  L.,  son  of  Henry 
Dodge,  214;  service  of,  in  Black 
Hawk  War,  244;  death  of.  244 

Dodge,  Israel,  migrations  of,  2; 
reference  to,  14 

Dodge,  Israel  (father  of  Henry 
Dodge),  birth  and  early  life  of, 


of. 
ter, 

of, 
Jdi- 


INDEX 


255 


3,  4 ;  marriage  of,  4 ;  career  of, 
6;  migrations  of,  7,  8;  service 
of,  under  John  Dodge,  7;  pro 
test  against  arrest  made  by,  7; 
prosperity  of,  8 ;  contribution  of, 
9 ;  petition  of,  9 ;  declaration 
concerning  petition  of,  9 ;  land 
granted  to,  10 ;  shipments  made 
by,  10;  attack  on,  by  pirates,  10, 
11;  transfer  of  Louisiana  wit 
nessed  by,  12 :  appointment  of. 
as  Sheriff,  12;  death  of,  13; 
burial-place  of.  13 ;  reference  to, 
34 

Dodge,    Israel,   28 

Dodge,  John,  birth  of,  2 ;  death  of, 
2 

Dodge,  John,  birth  of.  2 ;  life  of, 
2,  3 

Dodge,  John,  career  of,  6 ;  captiv 
ity  of,  6 ;  arrival  of,  at  Boston. 
7 ;  removal  of,  to  Virginia,  7 ; 
appointment  of,  as  Indian  Agent, 
7 ;  order  for  arrest  given  by,  7, 
8 ;  removal  of,  to  Louisiana.  8 ; 
settlement  of,  at  New  Bourbon, 
8;  activities  of,  in  salt-making, 
14;  character  of,  208 

Dodge,  Nancy  Ann,  209  (See  also 
Nancy  Ann  Hunter) 

Dodge,  Tristram,  coming  of,  to 
America,  1 :  reference  to,  2 

Dodge    County    (Wisconsin),    61 

Dodge  family,  coming  of,  to  Amer 
ica,  1 ;  westward  migration  of,  1, 
2;  descendants  of,  207 

Dodgeville  (Wisconsin),  settlement 
of  Dodge  near,  31;  smelting 
works  near,  53 ;  reference  to, 
75,  78,  226;  mines  at,  214,  215 

Doty.  James  Duane,  nomination  of, 
for  Delegate,  154 ;  election  of,  as 
Delegate,  154 ;  appointment  of, 
as  Governor  of  Wisconsin  Terri 
tory,  157;  reference  to,  158, 
240 ;  controversy  of  Legislative 
Assembly  and  Dodge  against, 
163-169:  appropriation  entrust 
ed  to,  163.  164;  failure  of,  to 
render  account,  164;  charges 
against,  164;  arraignment  of,  by 
Medill,  165;  session  of  Legisla 
tive  Assembly  declared  illegal  by, 
166:  violation  of  laws  by, 
167,  168;  refusal  of,  to  cooper 
ate  with  Legislative  Assembly, 
167.  168;  request  of  Dodge  for 
removal  of.  167,  168 ;  character 
of  administration  of,  168;  rea 
sons  for  appointment  of,  173 ; 
defeat  of,  by  Dodge,  190;  ca 
pacities  of,  197;  administration 
of,  202  ;  vote  for.  237 

Dougherty,     Major,     service    of,     on 


Dragoon  expedition,  114;  dis 
tribution  of  presents  by,  119 

Douglas,  Stephen  A.,  186 ;  Kansas- 
Nebraska  Bill  supported  by,  191 

Dragoons,  regiment  of,  created,  80 ; 
composition  of,  80,  82,  83,  113, 
114;  proposition  to  convert 
Rangers  into,  80,  81;  orders  for 
enlistment  of,  81;  communica 
tion  of  Dodge  concerning,  81, 
82 ;  Ranger  cat>tains  enlisted  in. 
83;  description  of,  83,  84,  234; 
conditions  among,  84,  85;  de 
sertions  among,  85 ;  labor  per 
formed  by,  85,  86 ;  training  of 
horses  for,  86;  first  battalion 
parade  of,  86 ;  number  of,  86 ; 
command  of,  assumed  by  Dodge, 
86,  87;  march  of,  87,  96,  97- 
100,  108,  109,  113-127;  arrival 
of,  at  Fort  Gibson,  87;  supplies 
purchased  for,  88;  permanent 
quarters  of,  89 ;  description  of 
quarters  of,  89 :  relations  of, 
with  Indians,  89 ;  amusements 
of,  89 ;  division  of,  recommended 
by  Dodge,  90;  account  of,  by 
Dodge,  91,  92;  description  of 
camp  of,  92,  93 ;  campaign  of, 
94 ;  purpose  of  campaign  of,  95 ; 
Indians  with  expedition  of,  95 ; 
crossing  of  river  by,  96;  deple 
tion  of  ranks  of,  96,  99;  arrival 
of,  at  Pawnee  village,  100;  In 
dian  hospitalities  enjoyed  by, 
100,  101;  speed  of.  retarded, 
109;  return  of,  to  Fort  Gibson, 
110;  results  of  campaign  of, 
112;  departure  of,  from  Fort 
Leaven  worth,  113;  meeting  of 
Jutan  with,  115;  welcome  of,  by 
Oto  Indians,  115;  arrival  of 
Omahas  at  camp  of,  116;  arrival 
of,  at  Pawnee  village,  117;  invi 
tation  of,  to  lodge  of  Angry  Man, 
117;  first  herd  of  buffalo  seen 
by,  119;  purpose  of  expedition 
of,  120 ;  expressions  of  good  will 
toward,  124;  effects  of  expedi 
tion  of.  125,  126,  127;  loss  of 
life  among,  127;  reference  to, 
133,  186,  227,  228;  request  for, 
150 ;  proposition  for  disbanding 
of,  170;  attitude  of  Adams  to 
ward,  170;  Dodge  escorted  by, 
174;  need  for  company  of,  177; 
description  of  country  traversed 
by,  228;  lack  of  training  in  tac 
tics  among  officers  of,  229 ;  de 
scription  of  marches  of,  230; 
bartering  of,  with  Indians,  231; 
report  of  expedition  of,  232 ; 
route  of  expedition  of.  233 ; 
death  of  member  of,  234 


256 


INDEX 


Draper,   Lyman  C.,  notes  by,   213 

Drunkenness,  prohibition  of,  69, 
70,  72 

Dubuque,  incorporation  of  Miners 
Bank  at,  138 

Dubuque  County  (Wisconsin  Ter 
ritory),  population  of,  131; 
claim  of,  for  Territorial  capital, 
138 

Duncan,  Matthew,  instructions  to, 
73;  command  under,  113 

Dunlap's  Ferry,    crossing  at,    126 

Dutch  (Cherokee  Indian),  assur 
ances  given  by,  105 

Edwards,   James  G.,   236 

Edwards,    Ninian,    27 

Elections,  suggestions  of  Dodge  rel 
ative  to,  156 

Elm    Grove,    126 

English  Prairie  (Wisconsin), 
march  of  troops  to,  42 

Ewing,  L.  D.,  Indians  overtaken 
by,  62 

Fairchild,  Lucius,  tribute  to  Dodge 
by,  203,  204 

False  Washita  River,  murder  com 
mitted  on,  102 

Falstaff,   Jack,    83 

Fenwick,  Walter,  duel  between 
Crittenden  and,  20 

Fever  River,  lead  region  of,  29 ; 
reference  to,  32 

Florida,  Territory  of,  Delegate 
from,  159 

Fond  du  Lac  (Wisconsin),  appro 
priation  for  repair  of  road  to, 
169,  170 

Foote,  Henry  S.,  results  of  debate 
between  Benton  and,  187 

Force,  George,  burial  of,   60 

Force  Bill,  attitude  of  Dodge  to 
ward,  198 

Ford,  Lemuel,  death  of  Ranger  in 
company  of,  69;  instructions  to, 
70,  71,  72;  command  under. 
113,  114 

Ford,  Thomas,  statement  by,  59; 
reference  to,  218,  219 

Fort  Armstrong,    garrison  of,    68 

Fort  Chartres,    20 

Fort  Crawford,  gathering  of  forces 
at,  41,  43 ;  garrison  of,  68 ;  need 
for  Dragoons  at,  177;  withdraw 
al  of  troops  from,  180 

Fort   Dearborn,    garrison   of,    68 

Fort  Gibson,  garrison  of,  68 ; 
troops  ordered  to,  70,  71,  72,  86; 
arrival  of  Dragoons  at,  87;  ref 
erence  to,  89,  92,  94,  104;  re 
serve  infantry  at,  90 ;  return  of 
Dragoons  to,  109,  110;  grand 


council  at,  111;  story  of  march 
es  to,  227 

Fort  Hamilton,  arrival  of  Dodge  at, 
57;  assembling  of  forces  at,  60 

Fort  Howard,  appropriation  for  re 
pair  of  road  from,  169,  170 

Fort  Leavenworth,  26,  110,  133, 
233;  garrison  of,  68;  suggestion 
for  Dragoon  headquarters  at, 
90;  departure  of  Dragoons  from. 
113;  arrival  of  Dragoons  at,  126 

Fort  Madison,  attacks  on,  22 ;  ref 
erence  to,  30;  wintering  of 
Black  Hawk  near,  49,  50 

Fort  Snelling,  garrison  of,  68; 
journey  of  Dodge  to,  139 

Fort  Union,  headquarters  of  Dodge 
at,  53 ;  arrival  of  Dodge  at,  56, 
57;  reference  to,  223 

Fort  Winnebago.  erection  of,  44; 
troops  dispatched  to,  60.  61 ; 
garrison  at,  68 ;  reference  to,  70, 
152 ;  arrival  of  Dodge  at,  75 ; 
escape  of  Indian  murderers 
from,  75 ;  Indian  murderers 
lodged  at,  77;  conditions  among 
Indians  at,  139 ;  need  for  Dra 
goons  at,  177 

Four  Lakes,  53,  75,  78;  confer 
ence  held  at,  74 

Fox   Indians,    151 

Fox  River,  71,  132,  148;  sugges 
tion  for  improvement  of,  147, 
190 ;  appropriation  for  road  to, 
169;  water  route  between  Wis 
consin  River  and,  suggested  by 
Dodge,  176 

France,  retrocession  of  Louisiana 
to,  12 ;  struggle  of,  for  posses 
sion  of  Vincennes,  13 

French,    coming  of,    to  Missouri,    28 

Free  Soil  Convention,  National, 
meeting  of,  186;  composition  of, 
186;  nominations  by,  186 

Frontier,  service  of  Mounted 
Rangers  on,  67;  petitions  to 
Congress  from.  67;  location  of, 
68;  threatening  attitude  of  In 
dians  on,  72 ;  alarm  caused  by 
Indians  on,  73 ;  cost  of  supplies 
on,  90 ;  march  of  Dragoons 
through,  113 ;  settlement  of 
Dodge  on,  197,  198 

Frontiersmen,  restless  character  of, 
6 

Fry,  Joshua  W.,  service  of,  in  re 
moval  of  Indians,  77 

Fugitive  Slave  Bill,  opposition  of 
Dodge  to,  188 

Gagnier,   Registre,   murder  of,   41 
Gaines,     Edmund    P.,     command    of 
volunteers     by,     47;     signing     of 
treaty   by,    47;    statement   of,    47; 


INDEX 


257 


opinion  of,  concerning  Rocky 
Mountain  expedition,  127;  letter 
from,  233;  recognition  of  ser 
vices  of  Dodge  by,  239 

Galena  (Illinois),  Dodge  at,  30, 
41;  reference  to,  31,  129,  223; 
gathering  of  forces  at,  41;  de 
scription  of  scenes  at,  42 ;  activ 
ities  of  Dodge  at,  59,  60;  re 
moval  of  Dodge  to,  213,  214 

Galenian,  The,  war  news  published 
in,  66;  publication  of,  220 

Gallagher,   Benj.   B.,   letter  to,   244 

Gallagher,   J.   S.,  letter  by,   244 

Gambling,   prohibition  of,    72 

Gantt,  Captain,  service  of,  on 
Dragoon  expedition,  114;  In 
dians  collected  by,  119,  120, 
123;  reference  to,  120 

Gentry,   James  H.,    53,   222 

Ghent,    treaty   of,    26 

Governor,  career  of  Dodge  as,  128- 
144,  145-157,  172-184;  powers 
and  salary  of,  131;  importance 
of  office  of,  202,  203 

Grand   Island,    119 

Grand   River,    88 

Grant  County   (Wisconsin),  42,   178 

Gratiot,   Adele  P.,   216 

Gratiot,  Henry,  sub-agent  of  Win- 
nebagoes,  53,  54 

Gratiot's   Grove,   55,    56 

Great  Britain,  war  declared 
against,  21;  reference  to,  26 

Great  Lakes,   22 

Green,    Emerson,   burial  of,    60 

Green  Bay,  71,  147,  162;  jealousy 
of,  129;  treaty  concluded  near, 
132;  Indians  attached  to  Agency 
at,  153;  Indian  agent  at,  237 

Grimes,  James  W.,  secretary  of 
treaty  commission,  133 

Gros  Ventre  Indians,    123 

Hall,   Rachel,   abduction  of,   54 
Hall,    Sylvia,  abduction  of,   54 
Hamilton,     Henry,     Dodge    held    in 
captivity    by,     6;     statement     by, 
208 

Hamilton,  William  S.,  vote  for,  242 
Hamilton    County    (Nebraska),    116 
Harrison,    William    Henry,    appoint 
ment  of  Dodge  by,   12 ;   reference 
to,    132,    144 

Heath,  Charles,  execution  of,   18 
Helena     (Wisconsin),     shipment     of 

lead  from,    34 
Hennepin    (Illinois),    73 
Henry,  James  D.,  49.  64,  224:  pur 
suit    of    Black    Hawk    by     60-63; 
Indians     overtaken    by,     61,     62; 
position    of,    in    order    of    battle, 
63 ;    location   of   company   of,    70 ; 
successor  to,   73 

17 


Henry,  Moses,  naming  of  Dodge 
for,  209 

Henry,  Patrick,  confidence  of,  in 
Dodge,  7 

Herculaneum   (Missouri),  28 

Hickory  Point,  encampment  «f 
Dodge  at,  55 

Hildreth,   James,  letters  by,   227 

Historical  Department  of  Iowa,  list 
of  commissions  of  Dodge  present 
ed  to,  21;  letters  in,  214,  239; 
manuscript  in  possession  of,  226 

Horse  Shoe  Bend,  Battle  of,  59,  67 

House  of  Representatives  (United 
States),  oath  of  office  taken  by 
Dodge  in,  158;  number  of  Dele 
gates  in,  158,  159;  reference  to, 
164,  171 ;  opinion  of  Dodge  con 
cerning  members  of,  169 

House  of  Representatives  (Wiscon 
sin  Territory),  number  of  mem 
bers  of,  175;  attack  on  Consti 
tution  in,  181 ;  list  of  members 
of,  240 

Howard   County    (Missouri),    22 

Hunter,   David,    83 

Hunter,   Joseph,  4 

Hunter,    Molly,   4 

Hunter,  Nancy  Ann,  marriage  of, 
4 ;  ancestry  of,  4 ;  incident  in 
life  of,  4,  5;  reference  to,  14 
(see  also  Nancy  Ann  Dodge) 

Hutisford  Rapids  (Wisconsin),  ar 
rival  of  troops  at,  61 

Hyer,   George,  papers  of,   223 

Illinois,  lead-mining  in,  28 ;  migra 
tions  from,  to  Missouri,  28;  mi 
grations  from  southern,  29 ;  con 
ditions  in  lead-mining  region  of, 
30,  31;  business  relations  of 
miners  with,  35 ;  Indian  troubles 
in,  45;  Black  Hawk  War  in,  49, 
59;  invasion  of,  by  Sac  Indians, 
50;  last  Indian  war  in,  65;  cost 
of  Black  Hawk  War  to,  65;  mi 
grations  to,  65 ;  threatening  at 
titude  of  Indians  in,  72 ;  alarm 
among  settlers  of,  73 ;  interest 
of,  in  improvement  of  Missis 
sippi,  148,  176;  settlement  of 
Dodge  on  frontier  of,  197,  198; 
Governor  of,  218,  219;  roster  of 
troops  from,  219 

Illinois  country,  disagreements  be 
tween  civil  and  military  authori 
ty  in,  7 

Illinois  River,  39,  47,  73;  terror 
caused  by  Indians  along,  51 

Immigration,  stimulation  of,  5 

Independence  Day,  Dodge  inaugu 
rated  on,  130 

Indian  Affairs,  Commissioner  of, 
report  of  Dodge  to,  152 


258 


INDEX 


Indian  Agent,  appointment  of 
Dodge  as,  7 

Indian  Bureau,  relation  of  Dodge 
to,  152 

Indiana,  Governor  of,  12 ;  depar 
ture  of  Bangers  for,  78 

"Indiana"    (steamboat),    29 

Indiana  Territory,  Missouri  coun 
try  under  jurisdiction  of,  16; 
reference  to,  132 

Indians,  Dodge  family  in  wars 
with,  2 ;  treachery  of,  4 ;  strug 
gle  of  settlers  with,  5 ;  dangers 
from,  9,  10,  21,  203;  influence 
of  British  traders  upon,  21,  22; 
lives  of,  saved  by  Dodge,  25,  26; 
Dodge's  knowledge  of  character 
of,  26,  129,  199;  friendly  rela 
tions  of  Dodge  with,  31;  desire 
of  Dodge  for  treaties  with,  34; 
relations  of  United  States  with, 
39;  disturbances  among,  39; 
treaties  with,  39,  40,  71;  diffi 
culties  between  lead  miners  and, 
40;  terror  caused  by,  51;  fear 
of  uprising  of,  52 ;  denuncia 
tion  of,  55 ;  results  of  rav 
ages  of,  56;  murders  commit 
ted  by,  56,  57,  102;  encoun 
ter  with,  57,  62,  63-65;  effect  of 
uprisings  of,  67;  caravans  pro 
tected  against,  73;  effect  of 
Rangers  in  pacifying,  78 ;  means 
of  maintaining  peace  with,  91; 
Dragoons  joined  by,  95 ;  council 
of  Dodge  with.  101-108,  111, 
113;  effect  of  establishment  of 
peace  among,  125,  126 ;  displac 
ing  of,  133 ;  opposition  to  loca 
tion  of,  in  Missouri,  133;  set 
tlers  on  the  lands  of,  135,  136: 
drunkenness  among,  139;  plan 
for  redemption  of,  153 ;  refer 
ence  to,  170 ;  memorials  from 
tribes  of,  189 ;  conditions  in  Il 
linois  due  to,  224,  225 

Internal  improvements,  memorial 
relative  to,  urged  by  Dodge,  137, 
147,  148,  176,  177,  179;  effort 
of  Dodge  to  secure,  162,  163, 
190 :  appropriations  for,  169, 
170;  petitions  relative  to,  189, 
190 

Iowa,  building  stone  for  capitol  of. 
10 ;  part  of  original  Territory  of 
Wisconsin,  130 

Iowa,  Territory  of,  act  creating, 
143 ;  significance  of  Dodge's  ad 
ministration  for,  143 ;  tenures 
provided  in  Organic  Act  of,  146 ; 
interest  of,  in  improvement  of 
Mississippi  River,  148,  176; 
reference  to,  157,  200,  239,  244: 
Delegate  from,  159;  results  of 


efforts  of  Dodge  in  behalf  of, 
168;  conditions  in,  181;  last 
Governor  of,  244 

Iowa,  The  State  Historical  Society 
of,  manuscript  in  library  of, 
220,  224;  publication  by,  242 

Iowa  country,  jurisdiction  of  ordi 
nance  over,  144 

Iowa  County  (Wisconsin),  settle 
ment  of  Dodge  in,  31;  Dodge  in 
militia  of,  52 ;  reference  to,  136 ; 
election  of  Dodge  as  Chief  Jus 
tice  of,  215 

Iowa   County   Regiment,    66 

Jackson,  Andrew,  appointment  of 
Dodge  by,  67,  80,  130;  approval 
of  act  by,  80 ;  position  of  Dodge 
in  estimation  of,  129 ;  reference 
to,  201,  238 

Jacksonian  Democracy,  195;  devo 
tion  of  Dodge  to,  196 

Jefferson  Barracks  headquarters 
of  Dragoons  at,  81;  arrival  of 
troops  at,  82;  description  of. 
84;  arrival  of  troops  from,  92; 
description  of  journey  to,  227 

Jefferson,  Thomas,  confidence  of,  in 
Dodge,  7;  proclamation  of,  19 

Jefferson  County  (Missouri;,  activ 
ities  of  Dodge  in,  29 

Jo  Daviess  County  (Illinois),  ad 
dress  delivered  by  Dodge  in,  55 

Johnson,    Peter,    execution   of,    18 

Johnson,  Richard  M.,  appointment 
of  Dodge  urged  by,  130 

Johnson,  William  C.,  attitude  of, 
toward  duty  on  lead,  161 

Johnson  County    (Nebraska),   233 

Johnston,    Albert   Sidney,    64 

Jones,  George  W.,  letter  from 
Dodge  to,  111,  112,  129,  130. 
142,  143,  169,  229,  239;  ap 
pointment  of  Dodge  urged  by, 
130;  appointment  of,  as  Gover 
nor  urged  by  Dodge,  143 ;  argu 
ment  of,  for  new  Territory.  143 ; 
letter  by,  214;  autobiography  of. 
220,  224;  statement  of  Dodge 
concerning,  236 

Jones,   Hugh,   murder  of,    18 

Jones,  Roger,  views  of  Dodge  pre 
sented  to.  89,  90;  letter  to,  227, 
233 

Judicial  districts,  creation  of, 
urged  by  Dodge,  147;  establish 
ment  of,  177 

Jutan  (Oto  Chief),  meeting  of, 
with  Dragoons,  115;  description 
of,  115 

Kansas,  march  through,  113;  atti 
tude  of  Dodge  toward  admission 
of,  191 


INDEX 


259 


Kansas  River,    126 

Kansas-Nebraska  Bill,  opposition 
to,  190,  191;  attitude  of  Dodge 
toward,  197;  speech  on,  244 

Kaskaskia,  capture  of,  5 ;  appoint 
ment  of  Dodge  as  Indian  Agent 
at,  7;  migration  of  Dodge  to,  7; 
migration  of  Dodge  from,  8 

Kearney,  Stephen  W.,  appointment 
of,  as  recruiting  officer,  82 ;  ref 
erence  to,  96 ;  arrival  of,  at  Fort 
Gibson,  110;  praise  of,  by  Cat- 
lin,  112 

Kellogg's   Grove,    75 

Kentucky,  removal  of  Hunter  fami 
ly  to,  4 ;  fort  in,  4 ;  removal  of 
Dodge  from,  8 ;  early  boyhood  of 
Dodge  in,  13 ;  migrations  from, 
29 

Keokuk,  chief  of  Sacs  and  Foxes, 
134;  impressive  appearance  of, 
134,  135 ;  attitude  of,  toward 
Neapope,  135 

Keokuk  Reserve,  treaties  relative 
to,  134;  cost  of,  to  United 
States,  134;  immigration  into, 
135 

Kickapoo  Indians,  march  across 
reservation  of,  114 

Killbourn,  Byron,  nomination  of, 
for  Delegate,  154;  defeat  of, 
154;  vote  for,  237 

Kingsbury,  G.  P.,  service  of,  as 
journalist,  114;  statement  of, 
concerning  Pawnees,  118;  Arick- 
aras  described  by,  120;  descrip 
tion  of  march  by,  121,  122,  126; 
description  of  Cheyennes  by, 
123 ;  effects  of  expedition  de 
scribed  by,  125,  126;  journal  of, 
233 ;  description  of  Oto  village 
by,  233;  description  of  Dragoons 
by,  234 

Kinzie,  John  H.,  sub-agent  for 
Winnebagoes,  75 ;  arrival  of,  at 
Fort  Winnebago,  75 ;  Indian 
murderers  delivered  to,  77 

Kiowa  Indians,  child  restored  to, 
95,  107,  108;  reference  to,  98, 
232 ;  presence  of,  at  council, 
101;  friendship  of,  desired  by 
Dodge,  106,  107;  interruption  of 
council  by,  107;  council  with, 
107,  108,  111;  Dodge  accom 
panied  by,  108,  109 

Kirker's   Place,    55 

Kish-kal-le-wa,    23,    26 

Knowles,  E.  P.,  making  of  bust  of 
Dodge  by,  204 

LaFayette,    Marquis   de,    4 
LaFayette    County    (Wisconsin),    57 
Lake    Michigan,    36;    suggestion    of 
appropriation     for     harbors     and 


lighthouses  on,  147,  176 ;  scar 
city  of  harbors  on,  162 ;  bill  for 
construction  of  harbors  on  162 ; 
length  of  coast  of,  162 ;  loss  of 
life  from  unprotected  condition 
of,  162,  163 

Langworthy,  Edward,  activities  of, 
in  Black  Hawk  War,  222 

Langworthy,  Lucius,  activities  of, 
in  Black  Hawk  War,  222 

Lassus,  Don  Carlos  Dehault  de,  9, 
12 

Lead,  importance  of,  in  West,  28; 
amount  of,  mined  by  Dodge,  32, 
33 ;  improved  outlet  for,  147 

Lead  miners,  taxation  of,  35 ;  need 
of  protection  for,  37;  difficulties 
between  Indians  and,  40; 
amount  of  lead  mined  by,  160; 
defense  of  interests  of,  by 
Dodge,  160,  161 

Lead  mines,  fame  of  Upper  Missis 
sippi,  29;  immigration  to,  44; 
memorial  relative  to,  urged  by 
Dodge,  176 

Lead  mining,  activities  of  Dodge 
in,  28-38 

Lead   trade,    center  of,    8 

Leavenworth,  Henry,  command  as 
sumed  by,  91;  arrival  of,  at 
Camp  Jackson,  91;  reference  to, 
96;  death  of,  110 

Le  Claire,  Antoine,  life  of  Black 
Hawk  based  on  statements  of, 
219 

Leech,  Samuel,  participation  of,  in 
Battle  of  Bad  Axe,  64 

Legislative  Assembly  (Michigan 
Territory),  35;  Iowa  County 
created  by,  215 

Legislative  Assembly  (original  Ter 
ritory  of  Wisconsin),  131;  elec 
tion  and  apportionment  of  mem 
bers  of,  131,  132;  convening  of 
first,  136;  laws  enacted  by,  137, 
138,  141,  143;  discussion  of  lo 
cation  of  capital  by,  138,  139; 
convening  of  second,  140 ;  inves 
tigation  of  fire  by  committee  of, 
141;  veto  messages  sent  to,  141; 
adjournment  of,  141 ;  discussion 
in,  concerning  creation  of  new 
Territory,  142,  143 

Legislative  Assembly  (Wisconsin 
Territory),  sessions  of,  145,  148, 
156,  174,  175,  179,  181,  182. 
183 ;  recommendations  of  Dodge 
to,  145,  148,  156,  173,  175-177; 
Indian  affairs  discussed  by,  150 ; 
laws  enacted  by,  155,  156,  177, 
178,  180;  memorials  and  peti 
tions  from,  159;  controversy  be 
tween  Dodge  and,  against  Doty, 
163-169;  failure  of  Doty  to  ren- 


260 


INDEX 


der  account  to,  164;  view  of, 
concerning  appropriation,  164, 
165 ;  session  of,  declared  illegal, 
166;  request  of,  for  removal  of 
Doty,  166,  167;  co-workers  with 
Dodge  in,  175 

Levy,  David,  Delegate  from  Terri 
tory  of  Florida,  159 

Liberty  Party,    186 

Linn,   Captain,  letter  to,   244 

Litcap,    Solomon,   murder   of,   41 

Little  Chief,  head  of  Pawnee  Tap- 
peiges,  118 

Little  Thunder,  223 ;  reward  re 
ceived  by,  224 

Louisiana,  removal  of  Dodge  to,  8 ; 
exports  of,  8,  28;  population  of, 
11;  jurisdictions  over,  11,  12; 
transfer  of,  to  United  States,  12 ; 
coming  of  Dodge  to,  14 

Louisiana,  District  of,  Governor  of, 
12 

Loutre  Lick    (Missouri),   23 

Lowry,  David,  statement  by,  con 
cerning  redemption  of  Indians, 
153 

Lucas,    Robert,    200 

Lumber,  improved  outlet  for,   147 

Lupton,  Lan.  P.,  command  under, 
113 

Luziere,  Pierre  de  Lassus  de,  rec 
ommendation  of,  9 

McClure,   George  W.,   death  of,    110 

McDonald,  Christina,  marriage  of, 
to  Henry  Dodge,  14,  15 

McDonald  family,  settlement  of, 
near  St.  Louis',  8 

Macomb,  Major  General,  communi 
cation  from  Dodge  to,  74 

Madison,  James,  commission  of 
Dodge  signed  by,  20 

Madison  (Wisconsin),  53;  location 
of  Territorial  capital  at,  138; 
convening  of  Legislative  Assem 
bly  at,  145,  148,  175;  constitu 
tional  convention  at,  179,  182 

Marcy,  William  L.,  request  of,  for 
volunteer  infantry,  180 

Marsh,   John,   statement  by,    33 

Martin,   Judge,   murder  of,   102 

Martin,  Matthew  Wright,  captivity 
of,  102 ;  surrender  of,  102,  103 ; 
delivery  of,  from  captivity,  231 

Martin,  Morgan  L.,  election  of,  to 
Legislative  Council,  36;  account 
of  tour  by,  214,  215 

Mason,  Richard  B.,  83,  84;  com 
mand  of  Dragoons  by,  86 ;  op 
position  of,  to  Dodge,  92 

Mason,    Stevens  T.,    144 

Medill,  William,  arraignment  of 
Doty  by,  165 ;  tribute  to  Dodge 
by,  238,  239 


Menominee  Indians,  land  ceded  by, 
132,  148;  removal  of,  advised. 
153 

Menominee  River,    132 

Merryman,    E.    H.,    223 

Methode,  Mr.,  murder  of,  41 

Mexican  War,  comment  of  Dodge 
on,  183 

Mexico,  plan  for  annexation  of,  18, 
19;  protection  for  trade  with,  90 

Mexico,   City  of,    183 

Miami  Bend  (Missouri),  Indians 
surrounded  in,  24 

Miami  Indians,  location  of,,  by 
Shawnee  scouts,  24;  surrender 
of,  24 ;  reference  to,  26 

Michigan,  Territory  of,  lead-mining 
in,  28;  reference  to,  31,  35,,  52, 
68,  72,  132,  196;  division  of, 
35,  37,  38,  128,  129;  Delegate 
from,  35;  delegates  to  Legisla 
tive  Council  of,  36;  suppression 
of  Indian  uprising  in,  44 ;  Black 
Hawk  in,  59;  Governor  of,  186 

Militia,  need  for  organization  of, 
137;  recommendation  of  Dodge 
relative  to,  177,  180 

Militia,  Committee  on,  service  of 
Dodge  on,  190 

Milwaukee,  incorporation  of  bank 
at,  138;  importance  of  good  har 
bor  at,  147;  harbor  to  be  located 
at,  162  ;  reference  to,  165 ;  incor 
poration  of,  177;  harbor  at,  rec 
ommended  by  Dodge,  179,  180 

Mineral  Point  (Wisconsin).  Dodge 
at,  72 ;  oath  of  office  taken  by 
Dodge  at,  130;  incorporation  of 
bank  at,  138;  departure  of 
Dodge  for,  141,  142 ;  investiga 
tion  of  bank  at,  urged  by  Dodge, 
155 ;  return  of  Dodge  to,  174 ; 
celebration  at,  215 

Minnesota,  130;  jurisdiction  over 
part  of,  241 

Mississippi  River,  shipments  down, 
by  Dodge,  10;  importance  of 
control  of,  11,  12;  reference  to. 
14,  20,  28,  40,  46,  47,  84,  120, 
129,  130,  131  204,  222;  activi 
ties  of  British  agents  on,  22; 
voyage  of  Dodge  up,  30;  cross 
ing  of,  by  Black  Hawk's  band, 
50;  threat  to  force  Black  Hawk 
across,  50;  discovery  of  Black 
Hawk  on,  63;  fort  on,  68;  ces 
sion  of  land  west  of.  71;  need 
for  troops  on,  90 ;  members  of 
legislature  of  Wisconsin  Terri 
tory  from  west  of,  132 ;  Sacs  and 
Foxes  encamped  on,  134;  jour 
ney  of  Dodge  to  head  of,  139 : 
agitation  for  separate  Territory 
west  of,  142,  143 ;  improvements 


INDEX 


261 


in  navigation  of,  suggested,  147, 
148,  176;  plan  to  remove  In 
dians  west  of,  153 ;  proposed 
connection  of,  with  St.  Law 
rence,  190 

Mississippi  Valley,  frontier  com 
posed  of,  68 ;  reference  to,  146 

Missouri,  early  history  of,  16 ;  area 
of,  under  jurisdiction  of  Terri 
tory  of  Indiana,  16 ;  part  of,  in 
War  with  Great  Britain,  21; 
agitation  for  admission  of,  27; 
adoption  of  constitution  of,  27; 
lead-mining  in,  28;  early  migra 
tions  into,  28;  migrations  from, 
29 ;  business  relations  of  miners 
with,  35 ;  migration  of  Dodge 
from,  40;  reference  to,  87,  89, 
90,  91;  cession  of  land  in,  133; 
region  added  to,  134 ;  disputed 
boundary  of,  141;  plan  for  re 
moval  of  Indians  to,  153 ;  resi 
dence  of  Dodge  in,  196 

Missouri,  Territory  of,  Delegate 
from,  20;  creation  of,  20;  ap 
pointment  of  Dodge  as  Marshal 
for,  20;  militia  of,  22,  213;  ref 
erence  to,  132 

Missouri   Fulton    (steamboat),    134 

Missouri  River,  23.  116,  133; 
crossing  of,  by  Dodge,  24 ;  Arick- 
ara  Indians  located  on,  120 

Money,  description  of,  in  early 
days,  29 

Monopolies,  attitude  of  Dodge  to 
ward,  155 

Monpisha.  assurance  of  friendship 
by,  105,  106 

Monroe,  James,  commission  of 
Dodge  signed  by,  20 

Montrose    (Iowa),    30 

Morrison,  James,  farm  of,  55 ;  ref 
erence  to,  149 

Mounted  Rangers,  creation  of,  67 ; 
commission  of  Dodge  as  Major 
of,  67;  operations  of,  67;  service 
of  Dodge  as  Major  of,  67-79;  ex 
pense  of  maintenance  of,  68,  69; 
organization  of  companies  of,  69 ; 
camp  of,  established,  69 ;  cholera 
epidemic  in  camp  of,  69 ;  victims 
of  cholera  among,  70 ;  disposi 
tion  of,  on  frontier,  70 ;  direc 
tion  of  movements  of,  74 ;  ar 
rival  of  Dodge  at  camp  of,  75 ; 
discharge  of,  77,  78 ;  end  of  his 
tory  of,  78 ;  service  of,  78 ;  refer 
ence  to,  80,  81;  captains  of,  en 
listed  in  Dragoons,  83 

Munsee   Indians,    153 

Muscoda    (Wisconsin),    42 

Muskogee    County    (Oklahoma),    87 

Na-kour-me,    23 


Napoleon,  cession  of  Louisiana  by, 
12 

Neapope,  49;  silence  of,  in  council, 
135;  capture  of,  224 

Nebraska,  march  through,  113, 
114;  reference  to,  116 

Neinaha  County   (Nebraska),   233 

Nemaha    River,    114 

Neutral  Strip,  reluctance  of  In 
dians  to  remove  to,  151 

New  Bourbon  (Missouri),  settle 
ment  of  Dodge  at,  8 ;  request  of 
officials  of,  8,  9 ;  reference  to,  9 

New  London  (Connecticut),  Israel 
Dodge  at,  2 

New  Madrid    (Missouri),    19 

New  Orleans,  10,  11,  14,  28;  im 
portance  of  control  of,  11,  12; 
shipment  of  lead  to,  34;  method 
of  shortening  route  to,  147 

New  York  City,  arrival  of  troops 
from,  82,  83 

Non-residents,  taxation  of,  urged 
by  Dodge,  146 

North  Dakota,   130 

Northwest,    lakes  of,    162 

Nullification,  attitude  of  Dodge  to 
ward,  198 

Ohio  River,  fort  near  mouth  of,  4; 
migration  of  Dodge  to  Falls  of, 
8;  reference  to,  18,  165,  242 

Ohio  Valley,  cost  of  transportation 
in,  29 

Oklahoma,    87 

"Old  Hickory,"  65 

Old  Man's  Creek,  51 

Old  Northwest  Territory,  capture 
of  forts  in,  5;  reference  to,  17, 
143,  144,  184,  241;  last  State 
admitted  from,  183 ;  evolution  of 
Territories  of,  200;  administra 
tions  of  Governors  of,  202 ;  Ter 
ritories  of,  203 ;  Governors  of, 
242 ;  commonwealths  formed 
from,  242 

Omaha  Indians,  114;  council  held 
with,  115,  116;  arrival  of,  at 
Dragoon  camp,  116 ;  provisions 
issued  to,  116 

Oneida    Indians,    153 

O'Neill,   John  F.,    174 

Ordinance  of  1787,  Iowa  country 
under  jurisdiction  of,  143,  144; 
slavery  provision  of,  188 ;  refer 
ence  to,  242 

Oregon,  Territory  of,  extension  of 
slavery  prohibition  over,  188 

Organic  Act  (Territory  of  Iowa), 
tenures  provided  in,  146 

Organic  Act  (original  Territory  of 
Wisconsin),  provisions  of,  131 

Organic    Act    (Territory   of    Wiscon- 


262 


INDEX 


sin),  provisions  of,  159;  refer 
ence  to,  201 

Osage  Indians,  relation  of,  with 
Dragoons,  89 ;  need  for  assist 
ance  of,  90 ;  expedition  joined 
by,  95;  reference  to.  96,  107; 
peace  desired  with,  105 ;  council 
held  with,  111 

Osage   River,    126 

Oto  Indians,  114;  encampment 
near  village  of,  114,  115;  arrival 
of  Dragoons  at  village  of,  115; 
council  held  with,  115 

Otoe    County    (Nebraska),    233 

Ottawa  (Illinois),  Indian  depreda 
tions  near,  54 ;  conference  at, 
55 

Ottawa   Indians,   treaty   with,    39 

Pap-pi-qua,    23 

Parish,  John  C.,  diary  edited  by, 
220 

Parkison.  Daniel  M.,  statement  by, 
221 

Pauquette,  Pierre,  service  of,  as  in 
terpreter,  74;  reference  to,  75 

Pawnee  Fork,  arrival  of  Dragoons 
at,  126 

Pawnee  Indians,  95,  96.  98;  child 
restored  to,  95 :  hospitalities  ex 
tended  by,  100,  101;  council 
held  with,  101,  111,  118,  119; 
Dodge  accompanied  by  chiefs  of. 
108,  109;  description  of  expedi 
tion  to,  111,  112;  divisions  of, 
117,  118;  chiefs  of,  117,  118; 
war  between  Sioux  and,  118; 
speeches  by  chiefs  of,  119;  as 
sistance  offered  by,  119;  arrival 
of,  at  Cheyenne  village,  125 ; 
presents  given  by,  125 

Pawnee  Loups,  chief  of,   118 

Pawnee  Republics,  chief  of,  117, 
118 

Pawnee   Tappeiges,   chief  of,    118 

Pawnee  village,  expedition  to,  94- 
112;  location  of,  94;  arrival  of 
Dragoons  at,  100,  117;  descrip 
tion  of,  100 ;  end  of  council  at, 
108;  return  march  from,  109; 
march  to,  116,  117;  story  of 
marches  to,  227 

Pearce.   James  A.,   243 

Pecatonica,  Battle  of,  45,  49;  ac 
count  of,  57-59;  influence  of,  on 
war,  59 

Pecatonica  River,  57;  suggestion 
for  improvement  of,  147 

Peltries,  importance  of,  in  West, 
28;  improved  outlet  for,  147 

Pelzer,  Louis,  document  edited  by. 
230 

Penitentiary,  appropriation  for, 
urged  by  Dodge,  155,  176 


Pennsylvania,  removal  of  Hunter 
family  from,  4 

Pensions,   applications  for,    189 

Perkins,   David,   83 

Peru  (Illinois),  claim  of,  for  Ter 
ritorial  capital,  138 

Philleo,  Addison,  war  news  pub 
lished  by,  66 ;  newspaper  edited 
by,  220 ;  letter  to,  222 ;  report 
by,  223 

Piankeshaw    Indians,    chief    of,    209 

Pierce,  Franklin,  offer  of  governor 
ship  to  Dodge  by,  193 

Pioneers,    restless   character  of,    6 

Platte  River,  113,  116,  121,  122, 
125;  encampment  on,  114,  117; 
march  of  Dragoons  along,  119 

Poinsett,  Joel  R.,  visit  of  Sioux 
delegation  to,  140 ;  communica 
tion  by,  237 

Polk,  James  K.,  effect  of  election 
of,  172 ;  extracts  from  diary  of, 
172-174,  240,  242;  policy  of, 
with  regard  to  appointments, 
173,  174 

Portage  (Wisconsin),  43,  152, 
176;  fort  at,  68 

Posey,  Alexander  49,  64 ;  pursuit 
of  Black  Hawk  by,  60;  position 
of,  in  order  of  battle,  63 ;  letter 
to,  214,  216 

Poston,    Henry,    23 

Pottawattamie  Indians,  treaty  with, 
39;  threatening  attitude  of,  72, 
73 ;  order  for  expulsion  of,  73 ; 
desirability  of  separation  of  Win- 
nebagoes  from,  74 

Prairie  du  Chien,  Indian  Agent  at, 
32,  216;  fear  of  Indian  upris 
ings  at,  40 ;  murders  committed 
near,  41;  march  of  troops  to, 
42 ;  discovery  of  Black  Hawk 
near,  63;  reference  to,  152,  224: 
treaty  made  at,  215;  death  of 
Red  Bird  at,  217 

Preemption,  views  of  Dodge  con 
cerning,  137,  148,  176 

Pueblo    (Colorado),    234 

Quaife,     Milo    Milton,     diary    edited 

by,   240 

Quarles,   Augustus,   memory  of,    183 
Quebec,  captivity  of  Dodge  at,  6 

Racine      (Wisconsin),      harbor      at, 

162,    179,    180 
Railroads,     incorporation     of,     180; 

land   grants   for,    189 
Rangers    (see   Mounted   Rangers) 
Red    Bird,    murders    committed    by, 

41;    flight    of,    42;    surrender    of, 

44;    death    of,     217;     accomplices 

of,  217 
Red   River,    Indian   villages  on,    94; 


INDEX 


263 


reference  to,  95;  Toyash  village 
situated,  on  branch  of,  99 

Revolutionary  War,   Dodge  in,  3 

Reynolds,  John,  complaints  of  set 
tlers  to,  46;  signing  of  treaty 
by,  47,  71;  proclamation  issued 
by,  50 ;  letter  from  Dodge  to,  52 ; 
reference  to,  53 ;  communication 
to  Dodge  from,  72 ;  credentials 
of  Dodge  presented  by,  158 

Rhode   Island,    1 

Richardson  County  (Nebraska), 
233 

Riley,  Major,  garrison  commanded 
by,  68 

Roads,   laws  relative  to,    178 

Roads,  Territorial,  construction  of, 
138 

Roberts.    Sergeant,    84 

Rock  Island,  establishment  of  camp 
near  69 ;  efforts  of  Indian  agent 
at,  139 

Rock  Island  (Illinois),  Sac  village 
near  site  of,  45 ;  treaty  made  at, 
71.  76 

Rock  River,  22,  40,  45,  50,  56,  60, 
61 ;  Sac  village  at  mouth  of,  45 ; 
expedition  to,  52 ;  establishment 
of  camp  near,  69 ;  burial  of 
Rangers  on  banks  of,  70;  re 
moval  of  Winnebagoes  across, 
77;  improvement  of,  urged  by 
Dodge,  137,  147,  176,  177 

Rocky  Mountains,  89 ;  march  of 
Dragoons  to,  113-127;  first  view 
of.  by  Dragoons,  122;  descrip 
tion  of,  122 ;  route  of  expedition 
to,  234 

Rough  Riders,   necessity  for,   67,   68 

Round    Grove,    126 

Roundtree,  John  H.,   31,   53,    175 

Sac  Indians,  outrages  committed 
by,  41;  village  of,  45;  treaty 
with,  47,  218;  number  of,  in 
Black  Hawk  War,  49;  British 
band  of,  49,  50 ;  invasion  of  Il 
linois  by,  50;  bad  counsel  of,  54 

Sacs  and  Foxes,  attack  of,  on  Fort 
Madison,  22 ;  treaty  negotiated 
with,  46,  133;  Indian  Agent  of, 
54;  land  cession  made  by,  133 

St.  Clair,  Arthur,   144 

St.  Croix  River,  cession  of  pine  for 
ests  of,  140 

St.  Lawrence  River,  proposed  con 
nection  of,  with  Mississippi,  190 

St.  Louis,  settlement  of  McDonalds 
near,  8 ;  growth  of,  8 ;  transfer 
of  Louisiana  at,  12 ;  reference 
to,  23,  34,  41,  78.  81;  constitu 
tional  convention  at,  27;  Super 
intendent  of  Indian  Affairs  at, 
32;  troops  and  supplies  sent 


from,   50 ;  story  of  marches  from, 
227 

St.  Mary's  Landing  (Missouri),  re 
moval  of  Dodge  from,  213,  214 

St.  Vrain,  Felix,  murder  of,  54 ; 
burial  of,  55 ;  demand  for  sur 
render  of  murderers  of,  75 

St.  Vrain,  Mr.,  fort  of  Bent  and, 
123 ;  trade  carried  on  by,  123 

Ste.  Genevieve  (Missouri),  settle 
ment  of  Dodge  near,  8;  market 
for  lead,  8;  life  of  Dodge  near, 
8 ;  burial  of  Dodge  near,  13 ; 
reference  to,  19,  20,  23;  rank  of 
Dodge  in  troops  of,  21 

Ste.  Genevieve  Academy,  Dodge  a 
trustee  of,  20 

Ste.  Genevieve  County  (Missouri), 
rifle  company  in,  22 ;  delegates 
from,  27 

Ste.  Genevieve  District,  appoint 
ment  of  Dodge  as  Sheriff  in,  12; 
service  of  Dodge  in,  15,  17;  res 
idence  of  Dodge  in,  16,  17;  sys 
tem  of  local  government  estab 
lished  in,  17;  importance  of 
Sheriff  of,  17;  tax  levy  for,  17 

Saline  County    (Missouri),   24 

Saline  River,  salt-making  on,  14, 
28,  29 

Salt,    importance  of,    in  West.    28 

Salter,  William,  statement  by,  31; 
reference  to,  207 

Sandusky    (Ohio),   Dodge  at,   6 

Santa  Fe,  73 ;  protection  of  traders 
enroute  to,  91 

Santa   Fe  trail,    113,    126 

Schools,  attitude  of  Dodge  toward, 
147,  176 

Scott,  John,  part  of,  in  duel;  20 ; 
reference  to.  27 

Scott,  Winfield,  denunciation  of  in 
temperance  by,  69,  70;  treaty 
made  by,  71;  order  of,  225 

Secretary  of  the  Treasury,    164 

Secretary  of  War,  80;  explanation 
of,  concerning  removal  of  Win 
nebagoes,  151;  memorial  to, 
urged  by  Dodge,  177 

Senate  (United  States),  quarrel 
between  Benton  and  Foote  in, 
187;  attitude  of  Dodge  toward 
disorder  in,  187,  188 ;  committee 
to  investigate  disorder  in,  188 ; 
retirement  of  Dodge  from,  193 

Seneca  Indians,  expedition  joined 
by,  95;  council  held  with.  Ill 

Settlers,  relations  of  Black  Hawk 
with,  46 ;  squatting  of,  on  Indian 
lands,  135,  136 

Seward,     William     H.,     Kansas-Ne 
braska  Bill  opposed  by,    190,    191 
Shawnee    Indians     leaders    of,    23 : 
reference  to,    24,   26 


264: 


INDEX 


Sheboygan  (Wisconsin),  appropri 
ation  for  road  from,  169 

Sioux  Indians,  27,  151;  mainte 
nance  of  peace  with,  91;  war  be 
tween  Pawnees  and,  118;  Arick- 
aras  driven  out  by,  120;  as 
sembling  of,  for  grand  council, 
139,  140;  delegation  of,  sent  to 
Washington,  140 

Slavery,  attitude  of  Dodge  toward, 
188,  197 

Slaves,  treatment  of,  by  Dodge, 
196,  197 

Smith,  T.,  Jack,  connection  of,  with 
Burr  expedition,  19;  indictment 
of,  19 

Smith,  Jeremiah,  building  for  Leg 
islative  Assembly  provided  by, 
141 

Snelling,    Colonel,    force   under,    43 

South  Dakota,  130 

Southport  (Wisconsin),  harbor  at, 
162,  179,  180;  appropriation  for 
improvement  of  road  from,  170 

Spafford's  Ford,  murders  commit 
ted  near,  56,  57 

Spain,  request  of  loans  to,  9;  land 
granted  to  Dodge  by,  10;  retro 
cession  of  Louisiana  by,  12 

Spanish,  coming  of,  to  Missouri, 
28 

Spear,   John,   murder  of,    18 

Springfield    (Illinois),    220 

Statehood,  question  of,  emphasized 
by  Dodge,  154,  155,  156;  vote 
in  favor  of,  for  Wisconsin  Ter 
ritory,  178 ;  advantages  of, 
shown  by  Dodge,  179,  182 

Steen,    Enoch,   command  under,    114 

Stephenson,    James,    222 

Stillmau,  Isaac,  force  under,  50 : 
plan  of,  to  coerce  Indians,  50, 
51;  site  of  defeat  of,  52 

Stillman's  Defeat,  49;  disastrous 
character  of,  51 

Stockbridge  Indians,    153 

Stoddard,  Amos,  part  of,  in  trans 
fer  of  Louisiana,  12 

Street,  Joseph  M.,  statement  by, 
32;  reference  to,  33;  attempt  of, 
to  oust  Dodge,  34;  efforts  of,  to 
promote  reforms  among  Indians, 
139;  letter  by,  214,  216;  Indian 
Agent  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  216; 
captives  delivered  to,  224 

Strong,  Moses  M.,  statement  by,  44, 
168;  letter  to  Dodge  from,  167; 
removal  of  Doty  urged  by,  167; 
speech  by,  174 

Sumner,  Charles,  Kansas-Nebraska 
Bill  opposed  by.  190,  191 

Sumner,  Edwin  V.,  arrival  of,  at 
Jefferson  Barracks,  82,  83 ;  ref 


erence   to,    84;    sent   to   Arkansas 
Territory,    88 

Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs, 
qualifications  of  Dodge  for,  131; 
activities  of  Dodge  as,  132-136, 
139,  140;  duties  of  Dodge  as, 
151-153,  200 

Tallmadge,  Nathaniel  P.,  attitude 
of,  toward  removal  of  Doty,  166 ; 
conference  of,  with  Polk,  173; 
attitude  of  Polk  toward  removal 
of,  173 ;  attitude  of  Dodge  to 
ward,  174;  removal  of,  240 

Tariff  Bill  of  1833,  attitude  of 
Dodge  toward,  198 

Taunton    (Massachusetts),    1 

Ta-we-que-nah,  professions  of 
friendship  made  by,  106 

Taylor,  Zachary,  position  of,  in  or 
der  of  battle,  63 ;  reference  to, 
65 ;  garrison  commanded  by,  68 

Tecumseh,   45 

Tennessee,  migrations  from    29 

Tennesseans,  favorite  instruments 
of,  89 

Territories,  Committee  on,  report 
of,  166;  bill  reported  by,  191 

Teton   Sioux  Indians,   27 

Texas  Boundary  Bill,  opposition  of 
Dodge  to,  188 

Thompson,    John   W.,    23 

Thompson,   Charles,  letter  to,   208 

Toyash  Indians,  98,  108;  council 
held  with,  101,  107,  108 

Toyash  village,  location  of,  99;  ar 
rival  of  Dragoons  at,  100 

Treasury  Department,  relations  of 
Doty  with,  164 ;  reference  to, 
166 

Tweedy,   John  H.,  vote  for,   242 

Tyler,  John,  result  of  appointment 
of  Doty  by,  158;  influence  of 
Webster  over,  165,  166;  attitude 
of,  toward  removal  of  Doty,  166; 
request  for  removal  of  Doty  sent 
to,  167;  failure  of,  to  remove 
Doty,  168;  attitude  of  Whigs  to 
ward,  169;  removal  of  Dodge  by, 
240 

Ude,   Monsieur,    140 

United  States,  cession  of  Louisiana 
to,  12 ;  struggle  of,  for  possession 
of  Vincennes,  13;  plan  for  an 
nexation  of  Mexico  to,  18,  19 ; 
reference  to,  26,  28,  37,  112; 
commissioners  for,  27;  cession  of 
Indian  lands  to,  34,  45,  71,  132- 
136,  140;  relations  of,  with  In 
dians,  39;  hostility  of  Black 
Hawk  toward,  45 ;  cost  of 
Black  Hawk  War  to,  65;  Paw 
nees  impressed  with  power  of, 


INDEX 


265 


118;  presents  to  Indians  from, 
120,  121;  cost  of  Keokuk  Re 
serve  to,  134 

Utah  and  New  Mexico  Bill,  opposi 
tion  of  Dodge  to,  188 

Utica  (New  York),  Barnburners 
Convention  held  at,  185 

Valiniere,  Peter  Heut  de  la,  letter 
by,  208 

Van  Bibber,   Isaac,   23 

Van  Buren,  Martin,  letter  from 
Dodge  to,  143 ;  act  creating  Ter 
ritory  of  Iowa  signed  by,  143 ; 
nomination  of,  for  President, 
185 ;  indorsement  of,  186 

Vandalia  (Illinois),  troops  ordered 
from,  72,  73 

Vincennes  (Indiana),  capture  of, 
5;  birth  of  Dodge  at,  13;  early 
history  of,  13 

Virginia,   Dodge   in,    7 

Wabash  River,   70 

Wade,  Benjamin  F.,  Kansas-Ne 
braska  Bill  opposed  by,  190,  191 

Wakefield,  John  Allen,  activities  of, 
in  Black  Hawk  War,  218 

Walker,  Isaac  P..  election  of,  as 
Senator,  185;  instructions  disre 
garded  by,  189;  rebuke  to,  189; 
vote  for,  242 

Wapello,  attitude  of,  in  council, 
135 

Wa-pe-pil-le-se,    23 

War  Department,  correspondence 
between  Dodge  and,  150 

War  of  1812,  part  of  Dodge  in. 
26;  service  of  Black  Hawk  in, 
45 ;  reference  to,  84 

Washington,  D.  C.,  Indians  invited 
to,  101;  failure  of  chiefs  to  go 
to,  111;  orders  from,  relative  to 
Indian  annuities,  139 ;  petitions 
and  memorials  sent  to,  142,  152 ; 
reference  to,  143,  159,  198; 
changes  in  political  complexion 
at,  172 ;  return  of  Dodge  from, 
174;  representation  of  Wisconsin 
at,  179;  services  of  Dodge  at, 
197 

Washington,  George,  interest  of.  in 
Dodge,  7 

Washington  County  (Arkansas 
Territory),  Sumner  sent  to,  88 

Washington  Territory,  governorship 
of,  offered  to  Dodge,  193 

Washita   River,    96,    110 

Ways  and  Means,  Committee  on, 
report  of,  171 

Webster,  Daniel,  influence  of,  over 
Tyler,  165,  166;  attitude  of,  to 
ward  removal  of  Doty,  166;  ref 
erence  to,  186 


Weco  Indians,  presence  of,  at 
council,  101 

West,  Dodge  family  in,  2;  military 
career  of  Dodge  in,  80;  faith  of 
Dodge  in,  196;  contributions  of 
Dodge  toward  development  of, 
199;  influence  of  Old  Northwest 
upon,  203 

West  Point,  graduates  from,  in 
Dragoon  regiment,  83 

We-ter-ra-shah-ro,  meeting  of,  with 
Dodge,  104;  willingness  of,  to 
accompany  Dodge,  105 ;  Dodge 
accompanied  by,  108,  109 

Wharton,  Clifton,  service  of  com 
pany  of,  as  escort,  91 

Wheelock,  T.  B.,  extract  from  jour 
nal  of,  99 ;  account  of  march  by, 
109,  110,  231,  232;  journal  kept 
by,  229 

Whigs,  nominee  of,  for  Delegate  to 
Congress,  154;  charges  made  by, 
against  Democrats,  157;  election 
of  President  by,  157;  divisions 
among,  169;  objections  of,  to 
State  Constitution,  181 

Whirling  Thunder,  conference  of, 
with  Dodge,  75 ;  removal  of,  77 

Whistler,  William,  command  of,  43, 
68;  surrender  of  Indians  to.  44 

White  Crow,  conference  of,  with 
Dodge,  74 

Whiteside,    Samuel,   force  under,   50 

Whiton.  Edward  V.,  175;  candi 
dacy  of,  for  Senator,  185 ;  vote 
for,  242 

Wing,  Austin  E.,  Territorial  Dele 
gate  from  Michigan,  35;  letter 
to,  215 

Winnebago  Indians,  attack  of,  on 
Fort  Madison,  22;  discontent 
among,  33;  sale  of  lands  by,  34; 
treaty  with,  39,  40,  44,  45,  150; 
mining  in  territory  of,  40;  treat 
ment  of  miners  by,  40,  215;  out 
rages  committed  by,  41;  flight  of. 
42 ;  desperate  condition  of,  43 ; 
surrender  of,  44 ;  pursuit  of,  48 ; 
number  of,  in  Black  Hawk  War, 
49;  sub-agent  of,  53,  54,  75; 
counsel  of  Dodge  to,  54;  release 
of  prisoners  by,  54;  cession  of 
land  by,  71;  threatened  attacks 
by,  73 ;  necessity  for  removal  of, 
74 ;  desirability  of  separation  of 
Pottawattamies  from,  74;  meet 
ing  of  Dodge  with  chiefs  of,  74: 
demand  for  release  of  prisoners 
by,  75 ;  annuity  money  for,  75 ; 
conference  on  removal  of.  75 ; 
warning  of  Dodge  to,  76,  77;  re 
moval  of,  77;  reference  to,  78: 
correspondence  concerning,  150 : 
explanation  concerning  removal 


266 


INDEX 


of,  151 ;  attitude  of,  toward  re 
moval,  152 ;  need  for  Dragoons 
to  secure  peace  with,  177;  ac 
tivities  of,  in  Battle  of  Wiscon 
sin  Heights,  224 

Winnebago  War,  termination  of, 
44;  reference  to,  186 

Winneshiek,  son  of,  saved  by 
Dodge,  43 

Winston,  Richard,  charges  made 
by,  7 

Wisconsin,  Black  Hawk  War  in, 
49,  60;  last  Indian  war  in,  65; 
migrations  to,  65 ;  reference  to, 
130,  188;  admission  of,  182, 
183 ;  career  of  Dodge  as  Senator 
from,  185-192;  reward  of  Dodge 
by  people  of,  185 ;  first  Senators 
from,  185 ;  instructions  from 
legislature  of,  189 ;  increase  in 
population  of,  189 ;  Dodge's  last 
years  spent  in,  193 ;  settlement 
of  Dodge  on  frontier  of,  197, 
198 ;  memorial  to  Dodge  from 
legislature  of,  204 ;  vote  for  first 
United  States  Senators  from, 
242 

Wisconsin,  original  Territory  of, 
Governor  of.  38;  Dodge  as*  Gov 
ernor  of,  128-144;  creation  of, 
128;  contest  for  location  of  cap 
ital  of,  129,  138;  extent  of,  130; 
population  of,  130;  provisions  of 
Organic  Act  of,  131;  description 
of  first  capital  of,  136,  137 

Wisconsin,  State  Historical  Society 
of,  resolutions  adopted  by,  203 ; 
letters  and  papers  in  library  of, 
220,  223,  239,  241,  244 

Wisconsin,  Territory  of,  Dodge's 
governorship  of,  145-157,  172- 
184;  population  of,  145,  146, 
156,  171;  rise  of  political  party 
system  in,  145 ;  question  of  state 
hood  in,  146 ;  natural  resources 
of,  146;  interest  of,  in  improve 
ment  of  Mississippi  River,  148, 
176;  appropriations  for,  by  Con 
gress,  150,  163 ;  description  of 
Indian  tribes  in,  152 ;  political 
campaign  in,  153,  154,  157;  pro 
vision  for  census  of,  156;  rec 
ommendation  for  redistricting  of, 


156;  appointment  of  Doty  as 
Governor  of,  157;  Dodge  as  Del 
egate  from,  158-171;  provisions 
of  Organic  Act  of,  159;  petitions 
from,  160,  162,  168;  duty  of 
Congress  toward  settlers  of,  161; 
bill  for  construction  of  harbors 
in,  162;  harbors  necessary  to 
growth  and  development  of,  163; 
view  of  Legislative  Assembly  con 
cerning  appropriation  to,  164, 
165;  request  for  removal  of  Gov 
ernor  of,  167;  results  of  efforts 
of  Dodge  on  behalf  of,  168;  atti 
tude  of  Congress  toward,  169; 
attempt  of  Dodge  to  secure  ap 
propriation  for,  171;  suggestion 
for  reduction  of  salaries  in,  171 ; 
effect  of  election  of  Polk  on  gov 
ernorship  of,  172;  payment  of 
debt  of,  urged  by  Dodge,  175; 
penitentiary  for,  urged  by  Dodge, 
175 ;  preemption  rights  for,  ad 
vocated  by  Dodge,  176;  new 
counties  created  in,  177;  judicial 
districts  established  in,  177;  con 
stitutional  convention  in,  178, 
179;  character  of  pioneer  legis 
lators  of,  202 ;  appointive  power 
of  Governor  of,  202;  vote  at  elec 
tion  for  Delegate  from,  237;  ap 
pointment  of  Dodge  as  Governor 
of,  240 ;  jurisdiction  of,  over  de 
tached  region,  241 

Wisconsin  Heights,  Battle  of,  45, 
49,  239;  account  of,  62,  223, 
224 

Wisconsin  River,  34,  42,  43,  45, 
63,  70,  71,  76,  77.  132,  148, 
223,  224;  terror  caused  by  In 
dians  along,  51;  Indians  over 
taken  on,  61,  62;  water  route 
between  Fox  River  and,  urged 
by  Dodge,  176;  interest  of  Dodge 
in  improvement  of,  190 

Wolf  River,   132,    148 

Woodbridge,  W.  W.,   223 

Woodward,  Theron  Royal,  descend 
ant  of  Dodge  family,  207 

Yankton   Sioux  Indians,    27 
Yellow    Banks,    crossing    of    Missis 
sippi   at,    50 


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